By CJP Team
In a shocking series of incidents, India’s entrenched caste system has reared its ugly head, targeting Dalit individuals for allegedly practicing Buddhism, pursuing education, and simply attending school. A Dalit youth was attacked and barred from a temple for embracing Buddhism, while a BHU scholar faced vile casteist abuse. In a separate incident, a school teacher brutally beat a Dalit student with a pipe, highlighting the systemic violence and discrimination faced by marginalized communities. These incidents again expose the dark underbelly of casteism.
Dalit scholar files complaint against professor for casteist slurred in UP
On August 30, Shivam Kumar, a Dalit research scholar at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has filed a complaint with the National SC/ST Commission after facing casteist harassment and misconduct from a senior professor during an academic meeting on May 30. The incident occurred during Shivam’s viva for upgradation from Junior Research Fellow (JRF) to Senior Research Fellow (SRF) in the Anatomy department of the Ayurveda faculty. According to Shivam, the situation took a turn for the worse when he took a group photo during a refreshment session, which angered the senior professor.
The professor allegedly hurled a half-eaten samosa at Shivam and unleashed a barrage of casteist slurs, questioning his manners for taking pictures while someone was eating. This shocking incident highlights the pervasive casteism and discrimination faced by Dalit students in academic institutions.”
Shivam immediately reported the incident to the university administration, including the dean of students. However, no action has been taken so far, prompting him to escalate the matter to the National SC/ST Commission on August 30, reported The Observer Post.
This story was originally published in cjp.org.in. Read the full story here.