CHENNAI: Allegations of caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges across Tamil Nadu took centre stage at a panel discussion in Chennai, where students and scholars said bias within State institutions often goes unspoken when compared to Central Universities.
In a tribute to Rohit Vemula, a research scholar driven to suicide at the University of Hyderabad in 2016, a city-based social outfit ‘Minds of Dalit’ held a panel discussion on the plight of marginalised students in higher education institutions across India.
The panel discussion with a slew of stakeholders sparked one of the significant debates – ‘treatment/oppression of marginalised students’ – prevailing openly across central and state universities, including Tamil Nadu. The panel saw participation of researchers, media persons, scholars, students, social activists, and advocates from Chennai, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai.
Founding member of ‘Minds of Dalit’ P Mohan told DT Next, “At 19, I was moved by the life and death of Vemula. His death questioned my political stance and society’s treatment of marginalised students in colleges/universities. Hence, we marked the event for his tribute, continuing his fight against casteism.”
The event was titled ‘A decade from the shadows to the stars’, highlighting the role of caste in society, education and politics. Mohan, also a lawyer at the Madras High Court, added that students in the panel and participants shared their lived and learnt experience with caste in TN educational institutions.
The event was titled ‘A decade from the shadows to the stars’, highlighting the role of caste in society, education and politics. Mohan, also a lawyer at the Madras High Court, added that students in the panel and participants shared their lived and learnt experience with caste in TN educational institutions.
“We speak a lot about casteism in central institutions, but seldom about it thriving in TN varsities. However, students, including law college students, in the panel shared that reducing marks in internal exams of the semester and questioning the caste of the student during viva assessment is more common than one would like to believe,” he added.
Students stated that social justice or equality was not the primary goal or ethics of Tamil Nadu and other state institutions. Addressing the audience, V Geetha, a writer who contributed to Feminism and Caste Studies, explained that the educational institutions in TN are largely ‘anti-caste’.
There is a lack of gender inclusivity and diversity in educational institutions to begin with. Additionally, it goes without hesitation to say that most institutions, including TN colleges/universities, lack inclusive and creative thinking, along with being casteist.V Geetha
Chandru Mayanan, a scholar from a Dalit community based in the city, highlighted that in the last five years, more than 20,000 Dalit students, 24,000 OBC students and over 7,000 ST students have dropped out of central institutions, as per the information revealed by the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“We only speak and get irate over suicides and cases that are extremes, and rightly so. However, thousands of marginalised students dropping out due to institutional casteism and discrimination is a cause of concern. It violates the fundamental right of education under the Constitution,” he opined.