Vivek Raj, a 35-year-old employee of a private firm in Bengaluru, died by suicide earlier this month after accusing his employers of caste discrimination at the workplace.

Raj took his own life in his flat on June 4, shortly after filing a police complaint and posting a video on YouTube. In the video, Vivek, hailing from Kaptanganj Basti in Uttar Pradesh and belonging to a particular community classified under the Scheduled Caste (SC), spoke about facing caste discrimination at his workplace.

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Vivek had been working as a visual merchandiser at Lifestyle International Private Limited in Bengaluru’s Yemalur for the past decade. He had completed his studies at the National Institute of Fashion Technology-Bengaluru (NIFT-B) and lived in the Brookfield area of Bengaluru’s Republic of Whitefield neighborhood. Vivek’s mother had passed away two decades ago, leaving behind his grief-stricken father, Rajkumar.

In the video, which has since been removed by YouTube, Vivek expressed his experiences of discrimination and his overwhelming frustration at being unable to combat it any longer. He spoke on the challenges faced by marginalized communities. The removal of the video by YouTube was due to their community guidelines.

Following his death, Vivek’s father, Rajkumar, filed a complaint with the Whitefield police. As a result, a case of abetment to suicide has been registered against Vivek’s reporting manager  and his two colleagues.

Prior to his death, on June 3, Vivek himself had lodged a complaint against his colleagues at the Marathahalli police station, alleging harassment and the use of casteist slurs by two of his colleagues.

In his final words, Vivek expressed his desire to spark a revolution within the corporate industry, urging the Prime Minister, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, SC/ST Commission, police, and authorities to address and resolve such grievances effectively. His sacrifice, he hoped, would pave the way for a better and more inclusive society.

“If you have thoughts of suicide or know someone in distress, please call 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline India or contact local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs immediately”