Rahul Gandhi asks Himachal CM to implement Rohith Vemula Act for ending caste discrimination in education

MANDI/SHIMLA: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has written to the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Telangana, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Revanth Reddy, urging them to implement the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ in their states.

The appeal seeks to protect students belonging to marginalised communities from caste-based discrimination and institutional exclusion in educational spaces.

In a letter addressed to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhu on April 17, Rahul Gandhi called for urgent legislative action to ensure that no student from a deprived background had to endure the injustices once faced by Dr BR Ambedkar or suffer the tragic fate of students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki.

Similar appeal made earlier to Karnataka CM

This marks the third such communication from Rahul Gandhi to a Congress-ruled state, following similar letters to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The appeal aligns with the Congress’ resolution made during its 2023 Raipur plenary session, where it pledged to bring a special law — the Rohith Vemula Act — aimed at safeguarding the dignity, safety and rights of students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minority communities.

Recalling the institutional death of University of Hyderabad scholar Rohith Vemula in January 2016, Rahul Gandhi emphasised that caste-based discrimination remained a harsh reality in India’s educational system.

His letter cited additional cases like those of Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of students from educational system.

Rahul Gandhi shares letter on X

Sharing the letter publicly on X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi wrote: “Until every student is guaranteed respect, safety, and equal opportunity without discrimination, our education system cannot be truly just.”

He further stated, “After writing to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, I have now written to Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy urging them to implement the Rohith Vemula Act.”

He underscored that education was the most powerful tool of empowerment, as shown by Dr Ambedkar, but lamented the persistence of caste bias even today.

The proposed Rohith Vemula Act seeks to establish institutional accountability, create robust grievance redressal mechanisms and foster safe, inclusive learning environments across campuses in India.

Munish Sood