V. Radhika, Rohith Vemula’s mother, was hospitalized due to chest pain complaint. She was sent to Continental hospital on Sunday evening. Earlier, she visited the University of Hyderabad (UoH) Health Centre. There an ECG test was done to her. According to a medical officer from the varsity, Radhika is diabetic and was sent to a private hospital for evaluation with Cardiologist.
On Saturday, Radhika was on campus along with daughter and son, Neelima and Raja. They have gone to meet the seven students on the fourth day of their fast at the protest venue of the university.
The 49-year-old questioned why son’s suicide draws his caste under question. This comes amid claims that Rohith was not a Dalit. Radhika asked, “When a girl named Nirbhaya was brutally raped and killed, did anyone question her caste? Then why is Rohith’s caste under question here?”
Refusing eight lakh rupees offered by the University of Hyderabad as ex-gratia, Rohith’s sister Neelima said, “We do not need your money. Not Rs 8 lakh, even if you give Rs 8 crore, we do not need it.”
As a clarification to the caste issue, Radhika said that she is from the SC Mala community, while her husband was an OBC, “From the age of five, I grew up in a Vaddera family (Vadderas are OBCs), with whom my SC Mala family left me. Since I was raised by a Vaddera family, they married me to a Vaddera man in 1985. After three children, my husband and I divorced and I brought up the kids on my own. Since I am from the Mala community, I brought them up like that. We used to live in a lane in Guntur where, even today, only SC families live. My children are as much Dalit as I am.”
-Sumana
