Photo: A banner reading ‘Implement the Rohith Act in Kerala’ being raised at the Fraternal Talk organised by the Fraternity Movement to mark the tenth anniversary of Rohith Vemula’s institutional killing.
Ernakulam: The Fraternity Movement has said that ensuring adequate representation of diverse social groups in power structures is a constitutional right, and that branding those who raise such demands as “communal” is part of a right-wing political agenda. This view was expressed at a Fraternal Talk organised by the Fraternity Movement’s state committee.
The discussion was held to mark ten years since the institutional killing of Rohith Vemula and brought together people from different social groups and social activists.
Participants said that Rohith Vemula, through his life, conveyed a political message calling for the formation of political unity under the leadership of communities that are denied social justice. They alleged that both Left and Right political parties attempt to suppress efforts toward such political mobilisation by labelling them as identity politics or communalism.
Fraternity state president Nayeem Ghafoor delivered the introductory address. The meeting was addressed by a number of notable figures including K.K. Baburaj (activist, writer), Sudesh M. Raghu (activist, writer), Baburaj Bhagavathy (activist, writer, journalist), Ladeeda Farzana (citizenship movement leader), and Baiju Pathanapuram (state secretary, AnnA DHRM Party).
During the convention, a banner was raised demanding the implementation of the Rohith Act in Kerala. Welfare Party state secretary Shamseer Ibrahim delivered the concluding address. Fraternity Movement state general secretary Gopu Thonnakkal welcomed the gathering, while secretary Anwar Salahudeen proposed the vote of thanks.