Friends, upon learning of Rohith Vemula’s death on the University of Hyderabad campus, I looked back at my own time in the same university twenty years back.

‘… I relate to his (Vemula’s) emptiness.

While mental illness in my family had scarred me, and separatist violence in my state had scared me, seeing a united movement for equality break down into such factionalism in an institute of higher learning broke me. After university, for a long time I lost my voice… I will always remember Rohith Vemula’s final letter. To me, he is a writer who has ignited the country. His words will live on.’

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Tags: Dalit, HCU, Rohith Vemula, student, suicide, University of Hyderabad