Rohith Vermula's family embrace Buddhism in Mumbai, want 'azadi' from caste system

Dalit scholar Rohith Vemulas family today converted to Buddhism nearly three months after he committed suicide that unleashed a firestorm of protests with his brother declaring they want azadi freedom from the oppressive caste systemMother and Brother of Rohit Vemula a Hyderabad University scholar who committed suicide embraced Buddhism saying they were now truly free from shamePic Datta KumbharOn a day that marked Dr B R Ambedkars 125th birth anniversary Rohiths mother Radhika and brother Naga Chaitanya Vemula also known as Raja Vemula were given deeksha by Buddhist monks at a function here in the presence of the Dalit icons grandson Prakash AmbedkarRohith 27 a student of Hyderabad Central UniversityHCU had committed suicide on January 17 inside the campus Raja hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government for trying to suppress people who are raising their voice while at the same time invoking Baba sahibsDr Ambedkar name using his birth anniversary eventsWe are against the caste system in Hinduism and have therefore decided to embrace Buddhism which does not have such an oppressive system of castes Raja said adding We want azadi freedom from the caste systemFrom Thursday my mother and I will be free from shame free from the daily humiliation free from the guilt of praying to the same god in whose name our people have been tortured for centuries he said at the function Dr Ambedkar architect of the Indian Constitution hadconverted to Buddhism at a grand ceremony in Nagpur in 1956 as he was strongly opposed to the caste system in HinduismMy brother Rohith was a Buddhist at heart although he did not convert He took his own life as he was discriminated because he was a Dalit We performed his last rites according to Buddhist traditions honouring his love for BuddhismRohith used to talk of Buddhism a lot He had also written a letter to the Vice Chancellor about how Dalits are discriminated against on the campus My mother feels that we should honour Rohith by embracing Buddhism he saidPrakash Ambedkar said the function for the duo was organised after Radhika Vemula approached him and conveyed their wish to embrace Buddhism when he visited Hyderabad recently He said for the first time liberty and the way of living is being challengedEven Dr Ambedkar admitted during his days when he was in Cabinet that right wing leadership will create difficulties later on to impose their views on the society Prakash said Raja and Radhika Vemula along with Rohiths childhood friend Riyaz Shaikh and Hyderabad university student Charbad Raju were present at the functionRohiths elder sister who is married has not converted to BuddhismMy brother wanted to be a Buddhist He tried to take up Buddhism but couldnt make it Raja saidIn a statement Raja said Had my brother been alive he would have been proud of the steps we have taken todayFrom Thursday my mother and I are going to start the kind of life that he always dreamt of