Honoring Rohith Vemula Event in NYC: From Shadows to the Stars

Описание: "From Shadows to the Stars: Honoring Rohith Vemula's Legacy" Event on Jan 30th at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan, NYC.

More than 120 New Yorkers braved below-freezing temperatures on January 30th in NYC to attend From the Shadows to the Stars, a landmark cultural memorial honoring the life and legacy of Rohith Vemula, the Dalit scholar whose death in 2016 galvanized a global anti-caste movement.

Organized and directed by prominent Dalit leader, journalist and author, Yashica Dutt, the evening brought together artists, writers, organizers, students, and elected officials for an immersive, community-centered program that combined documentary film, live performance, storytelling, visual art, and collective reflection. For many attendees, it was the first time they experienced a space that was explicitly anti-caste, and led by Dalit vision, thought, and intention.

The program featured a screening of Deepa Dhanraj’s moving documentary, 'We Have Not Come Here to Die', reflecting on the global protest movement that erupted in the wake of Vemula’s death, live musical and theatrical performances including anti-caste songs, a reading of Vemula’s last letter, and a storytelling showcase by Dalit speakers, along with an art exhibition of Dalit artists responding to caste, grief, and resistance. Attendees were also invited to engage with an exclusive zine produced for the event, featuring original reflections and writings from Dalit and anti-caste writers, academics and organizers in India, alongside shared Indo-Caribbean fare from TrinCiti in Ozone Park, Queens.

The intentional choice with the cuisine highlighted the shared histories of between the two regions and included offerings like beef to underscore the political nature of Dalit food – Dalit and Muslims are often punished for consuming/trading beef in India.
Throughout the evening, participants collectively processed a grief that many in the anti-caste community have carried for nearly a decade. For some, the gathering offered a long-awaited sense of communal gathering; for others, it served as a space to reinvigorate resistance and forge new bonds in a city that, for many in the audience, finally began to feel like home.

The event was made possible with support from community partners including the Ambedkar Center, Ambedkar King Study Circle, Hindus for Human Rights, Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha of New York, Indian American Muslim Council, India Civil Watch International, and Sacred Democracy.

Reflecting on the event, the lead organizer Yashica Dutt shared that bringing a memorial for Rohith Vemula to New York carried deep personal significance. “As a Bhangi woman from a caste that is often overlooked for leadership, even within anti-caste spaces, organizing this event in one of the world’s largest cities, where I first learned about Rohith and which I now call home, was a dream realized.”

“I am grateful to the event organizers for the care and revolutionary love they poured into this tribute, which felt like an antidote to the despair surrounding us. Together, we honored Dalit grief, joy, and dignity – so that we not only continue our struggle against the Brahmanical forces that killed Rohith but build the worlds our comrade dreamed of traveling to.” – Shalini K, Dalit Feminist Organizer and Movement Strategist, event attendee.

"The event was a welcoming space for Dalits and anti-caste folks to come together and spend one night, reflecting and rejoicing the rich and tumultuous history of what brought us here and showed us how important community is, for each one of us, even as we do our own thing." - Divya Malhari, Dalit educator, PhD scholar and speaker at the event.

Organized by @YashicaDutt with volunteer support from @rutgers.anti.caste.collective and @ru.afza. A big thanks to Shone SB @lightgrain for shooting the entire event.