'What Are Your Rank And Surname?' Educational Institutions Continue To 'Whitewash' Caste Politics

바카라�It is unfortunate that the authority decided to cancel the Annie Besant Fellowship announced for talented students. The protest by BHU Bahujan was done to pursue the administration to obey the rules of constitutional representation and not discontinue the fellowship programme. It is imperative that the concerned authority reconsider their decision and start this important fellowship according to the rules of representation of various sections made by the Government of India,바카라� the BHU Bahujan organisation expressed their discontent over the recent decision on social media. 

The BHU Bahujan, formed around three to four decades ago, functions as an 바카라�unofficial바카라� body mimicking the tasks of the SC/ST cell aimed at ensuring the rights of students, teachers, staff and faculty members from the Bahujan communities. 

바카라�Although there are representatives from the SC, ST and OBC communities in the official SC/ST cell of the university, largely they are apathetic towards the community and deny incidents involving caste-based discrimination happening across the institution. And such incidents have been rampant in BHU since its inception,바카라� says Ravindra Prakash Bhartiya, former president of BHU Bahujan.

Speaking to Outlook, the research scholar points out how subtle causes and effects of caste-based discrimination are whitewashed every now and then and never come out due to politics of hierarchy, controlled motivation of upper caste students and faculty, and lack of due diligence by the authority. 

Prakash바카라�s assertion finds a certain amount of truth in the backdrop of the recent hiatus over the death of a 18-year-old Dalit student, Darshan Solanki, whose suicide at IIT-Bombay on February 12, 2023, started whispers around such 바카라�whitewashing바카라� of caste politics in India바카라�s premium institutions flocked by upper caste students. 

While these institutions admit SC/ST students to abide by the constitutional mandate, they lack a deeper sensitivity towards the principles of social justice.

An interim report released by a 12-member committee to investigate the allegations of caste discrimination following Solanki바카라�s suicide concluded, 바카라�Other than the statement of DS's sister, there is no specific evidence of caste-based discrimination faced by DS during his stay at IIT Bombay.바카라�

In its report, the committee that was formed by the IITB Director under Professor Nand Kishore, head of the chemistry department, in connection with the death and allegations surrounding the incident, further added, 바카라�...his deteriorating academic performance could have affected DS seriously.바카라�

Initial reports following Solanki바카라�s death had quoted his family alleging that he was being isolated by his friends as he belonged to the scheduled caste. On visiting home, Solanki alleged that the behaviour of his friends changed after they found out about his caste and were 'jealous' as he was pursuing his education free of cost.

Contesting the interim report

The , begins by addressing the academic pressure. It goes on to mention how Darshan started missing classes and did not interact with his peers. But the report carefully eliminates the angle of caste discrimination, mentioning only Darshan's sister's account. It eliminates the testimonies from the various surveys IIT has conducted and even fails to get the statement of his aunt and parents, who have spoken to the media about how Darshan faced caste discrimination. 

A member of the APPSC cell (Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle), on request of anonymity, tells Outlook that the internal committee had all the details and testimonies that indicated that Darshan바카라�s suicide was because of acute caste discrimination but they chose to 바카라�whitewash바카라� it.

바카라�Firstly, they are trying to portray him as a weak student. But actually, Darshan didn't take coaching to even get into IIT, so it should show how brilliant he was. They are only trying to portray that to hide the truth,바카라� he says and adds, 바카라�Then, they go on to say that Darshan was made fun of for asking about how to use a computer. They said he was sensitive about his caste. But why was he sensitive? It was because he was humiliated for his caste.바카라�

Speaking on the report바카라�s mention of Darshan skipping classes, the APPSC cell member says, 바카라�Yes, he didn't attend classes after the first semester but he actively sought help for classes in Hindi. Darshan faced difficulty with classes held in English because he was not very fluent in the language. Why is it that he stopped doing that later? [Because] he was not going to be backed [by the institution]. He reached out but didn't get any help or support. What would happen if he got adequate support - that is what the committee should have inquired.바카라�

The study circle member recollects a past incident of another Dalit IIT Bombay student whose suicide had sent shockwaves across the country in 2014 but the institute denied caste discrimination behind the extreme step. 바카라�Basically, it is the reiteration of how IIT has always whitewashed caste discrimination. They are trying to write it off the way they did in 2014, in the case of another suicide by a Dalit student, Aniket Ambhore.바카라�

The APPSC member, who is a student at IIT-B, says that at a protest held on March 4, early this month, Aniket's father was also present. 바카라�He said he knew exactly what the interim report will say 바카라� that the student is weak, and committed suicide because of academic pressure. And the report said exactly that. It was the same conclusion as Ambhore's report.바카라� 

An 바카라�institute of excellence바카라�, amongst the toughest to crack, IIT harbours brilliant minds, united by ambition. But it remains divided by caste. 

For many, the Darshan Solanki suicide comes as a poignant case of the kind of prejudice that has been normalised to the extent of casual criticism and routine jokes. It was not simply an incident of depression but one where the student was allegedly unable to deal with the humiliation that came from a certain kind of prejudice rampant in premium institutes like the IITs that starts with the question: 바카라�What was your rank?바카라�.

The IIT Bombay case is not an isolated one. Many other prestigious institutes, be it the IITs, DU, BHU, JNU, NLU and others, have reportedly seen similar cases of victimisation due to a so-called lack of 바카라�merit바카라� that makes Dalit and Adivasi students 바카라�undeserving바카라� of being among the creamy layer of the lot, resulting in low confidence and harassment of the SC/ST students.

Outlook has earlier reported how Dalit rights organisations and activists hint at a larger social issue at the heart of these "elite" institutions which are not devoid of "caste바카라�.

In fact, is it all about caste?

바카라�A teacher asked us during the initial classes, 바카라�how many people cracked CLAT without any coaching?바카라� I and a fellow classmate raised our hands. He was from the general category. Looking at me, he said, 바카라�Of course, it would be easy for you. Koi coaching ki zarurat hi nahi hui hogi (you must바카라�ve not even needed any coaching) because you바카라�ve made it via reservation.바카라� 

Anjali (name changed to protect identity), a former Bahujan student of Gujarat National Law University, recalls the disturbing memory from one of her initial days at the college. Speaking to Outlook, she says how often she and her other friends would be discussed by their peers over her admission because her surname revealed her identity.

바카라�It바카라�s the way they look down upon you. I can바카라�t explain how but you just feel it in your bones when it happens to you,바카라� she says, making us wonder, is that what Darshan and other Dalit and Bahujan students who died by suicide also felt?

Months before Solanki바카라�s death, IIT-B바카라�s SC/ST Students Cell had conducted a detailed survey of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students in February 2022, in which 388 SC/ST students participated, out of whom, several students described in detail the kinds of caste-based discrimination they faced while on campus. 

The survey (confidential), accessed by Outlook, reveals a whopping 37.1 per cent of the respondents were asked about their JEE/GATE/JAM/(U)CEED ranks while 26 per cent of respondents were asked about their surnames --- in order to know their identity. Nearly 25 per cent of students encountered casteist remarks, jokes, memes and derogatory songs. Over 14 per cent of them heard words like 바카라�undeserving바카라� and 바카라�quota students바카라�. 

The study also evaluates the mental health of Bahujan students. It reveals that in IITs, "caste appears in the form of reservations which is seen as a 'loss of merit'. Hence SC/ST students are looked down upon as students with fewer capabilities. While talking to many students, we realised that SC/ST students prefer to hide their identity to escape the stigma of reservation".

Yet, a day after Solanki바카라�s death, the Institute바카라�s Director had said caste discrimination, 바카라�if at all it occurs, is an exception바카라� and that 바카라�ranks are not asked of students바카라�.  

A double jeopardy

Often, when Bahujan organisations try to battle the repression that engulfs SC/ST students, they also have to battle the narrative built around their work.

바카라�Students are often discouraged by their parents to come out and be vocal about the day-to-day bullying they face from upper-caste students. They are often told to stay away from working committees like ours바카라� because apparently, our intent is absolutely 바카라�political바카라� in a negative way. And a lot of times, to break through such a narrative and come out to protect the rights of the people from our community, often becomes challenging,바카라� says Prakash. 

Moreover, the lack of representation of students and the apathetic functioning of SC/ST cells in most educational institutions in India puts up a wall where it becomes increasingly fearful of students from the Bahujan community to break out of elusive caste-based ostracisation. 

바카라�SC/ST people stay in their own groups, they don바카라�t mix with the 바카라�general바카라� people. This is where we feel heard, among our own people,바카라� Anjali continues.

Another member of the APPSC adds, 바카라�The SC/ST cells in most cases exist just for the sake of it. They hardly raise questions about the many internal committee reports that are drawn up following the ostracisation of Dalit students. Then what is the point?바카라�