After a two-year-long standoff with the University of Hyderabad, deceased research scholar Rohith Vemula's family accepted a compensation of ₹8 lakh offered by the institute in 2016.
The UoH offered the compensation to Radika Vemula, mother of Rohith Vemula as per National Commission for Scheduled Castes directive.
Rohith Vemula committed suicide on January 17, 2016 after he and four other Dalit students were expelled from their hostels. Massive protests had taken over the varsity and across the country following his demise.
In a media release, Radhika Vemula explained she accepted the compensation as it was their rightful due and she has not compromised with the management.
“I refused to accept the money when it was first offered. I was under the wrong impression that this money was being offered at the behest of Appa Rao (Vice Chancellor) and thought that they were trying to buy my silence... I want to State in no unclear terms that the acceptance of this compensation, which is rightfully due to dependents of Rohith Vemula, is in no way a compromise with the university management,” she stated in the release.
Ms.Vemula reiterated that National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) under the chairmanship of P. L. Puniya had trashed the Roopanwala committee report, which declared her son was not a Dalit. “It is with Mr. Puniya's recommendation that the varsity declared compensation amount,” she reminded.
Ms. Vemula further stated that she was “overwhelmed by the love and respect” she received from people during her travels across the country. “People called me Veera Mathe , mother of a martyr. I will always be conscious of my responsibility and promise never to let down the cause for which my son laid down his life,” Ms. Vemula wrote.
The deceased student's brother Raja Vemula confirmed to The Hindu ,
“We accepted the cheque from the university today.” Wednesday was the last date for the family to accept the compensation.
University Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao, however said, “They must have had their own reasons to refuse the cheque but the university was always willing to give the compensation amount”.
The Vice-Chancellor further clarified that he had presented the cheque to P. L Puniya in 2016 requesting him to hand it over to the family. As Mr. Puniya refused, the cheque issued that year expired in three months, the V-C said.
Mr. Rao maintained that varsity administration including Security Officer and Dean of Students Welfare (DSW) was in touch with the family regarding compensation even in the past. The DSW recently wrote a letter to the family asking them to collect the cheque no later than February 20. “They collected the cheque on the date mentioned in the letter,” Mr. Rao told The Hindu .
