People gathered at the University of Hyderabad to remember Rohith Vemula on the ninth anniversary of his death. They called the event “Rohith Shahadat Din.” His mother, Radhika Vemula, spoke about how she believes Rohith was “institutionally murdered” nine years ago. She talked about his goals in school and how he originally wanted to be a doctor. He later decided to get a master’s degree but she convinced him to go for a PhD. She now feels like she played a part in him being at the University of Hyderabad.
This special event was held right on the university campus. It was a time to focus on how Rohith died and his mother’s belief that the university is responsible. This yearly event is to remember his life and what happened to him. Radhika Vemula also used the time to share her personal feelings about how it all went down and how she pushed him to make certain academic choices.
The day was called “Shahadat Din” which means a day for remembering a martyr, and it marked nine years since Rohith’s death. His mother shared her thoughts about pushing him to get his doctorate which makes you think about the circumstances of what happened. This event was really meant for everyone to reflect on Rohith’s life, his goals, and the circumstances around his death.