Journalism of Courage
Mother and brother of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide at Hyderabad Central University in January sparking strong protests across the country, today embraced Buddhism on the occasion of Dr B R Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary. Rohith's mother Radhika and brother Naga Chaitanya Vemula, also known as Raja Vemula, were given 'deeksha' at a function in Dadar here in the presence of Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
At the venue of the deeksha ceremony, the mother-son duo paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar and bowed before his portrait. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Prakash Ambedkar said Buddhist monks gave 'deeksha' to Rohith's mother and brother at a function on the sidelines of a programme marking the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Buddhist monks give their blessings to Rohith's mother Radhika and brother Naga Chaitanya Vemula, known as Raja Vemula. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Raja and Radhika Vemula, along with Rohith's childhood friend Riyaz Shaikh and Hyderabad university student Charbad Raju, had left for Mumbai from Hyderabad yesterday. Rohith's elder sister, who is married, has not converted to Buddhism. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
In a statement issued here after the 'deeksha' ceremony, Raja said, "Had my brother been alive, he would have been proud of the steps we have taken today." Rohith Vemula, 27, committed suicide on January 17 in a hostel room in Hyderabad Central University where he was a PhD scholar after he and four others were suspended from the hostel last year and restrictions were put on their movement by the university administration as part of disciplinary action for allegedly assaulting ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar. (Source: Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
