Skip to main content

Another Rohith Vemula in the making? Dalit scholar protests 'unjust' Wardha Hindi varsity

By Dr Abhay Kumar* 

PhD scholar Rajneesh Kumar Ambedkar of the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, is being discriminated against, harassed and denied his right to education by the university administration.
Unfortunately, Rajneesh has been asked to make changes and modifications to his PhD thesis, long after he submitted his work to be sent to external examiners. He followed all due processes and his supervisor was satisfied with his work.
As far as the university system goes, comments and objections may be raised by external experts about the submitted thesis. But in the case of Rajneesh, the university administration is raising objections. The same administration allowed him to submit the work earlier.
Note the level of lawlessness that Rajneesh was one day asked by the university administration to modify his work long after it was submitted: he was given the diktat that he needs to work under a new supervisor!
The arbitrary decision of the university administration raises several questions. First, if the thesis needs any modification, the suggestions should have come from the supervisor. The supervisor was satisfied and he signed the thesis and forwarded it for external evaluation.
However, his thesis was not sent to the external examination by the university administration. Under which law, the university authority is justified to raise such an objection when the candidate's supervisor had already forwarded it for external evaluation?
The case of Rajneesh shows that the university structure, which has been captured by communal and casteist forces, does not want an Ambedkarite scholar to complete his/her education and excel in academics and public life.
While the university administration is directly responsible for harassing Rajneesh, the so-called progressive and honourable professors of the university are silent about the case of caste-based discrimination and gross violation of equality within their campus.
Some may disagree with me but I have come to believe that the university mostly produces "the servants of the system" and the so-called honourable professors play their part in maintaining the status quo. The same professor shed tears about class-based inequality and violation of social justice in the classroom and seminar halls but when an Ambedkarite scholar is being harassed under their noses, they either remain silent or take the side of the administration.
However, the continuous struggle of Rajneesh is a ray of hope for us in this dark time. Many people are indeed made victims of the system but some of them decide to resist the unjust system till the last drop of their blood.
Rajneesh waged the battle inside the university and outside. He and his friends sat on a satyagraha on the campus. While the university administration has not paid any attention to his grievances, it sent its hoard of goons to threaten him to call off the strike. The communal and casteist goons came near his dharna site and raised anti-Ambedkarite slogans to intimidate him. The mob allegedly assaulted activists. Later, Ambedkar’s injured friends were sent to the hospital.
Despite all odds, Rajneesh continued with his strike and struggle.

Ambedkar's interview

Ambedkar has alleged in a youtube interview that he is being victimized by the university administration because of his Dalit identity.
Narrating his case, Ambedkar said his PhD thesis was submitted long back with all due process followed. His supervisor was satisfied with his work and he recommended the work for external evaluation.
But the university administration, instead of sending his work to external examiners and facilitating the process of the award of the degree, has so far kept the thesis to itself.
Months after the submission of the work, Ambedkar was told by the university to rework his thesis under a new supervisor. Ambedkar argued that such conditionality is arbitrary and against the rule and he is being victimized for being a Dalit as well as being a vocal person about the issues of social justice.
Amid this critical situation, Ambedkar continues fighting for social justice and democratisation of education. However, it cannot be ruled out that his life as well as his career is under threat. It appears not that an insensitive university system is pushing a Dalit scholar to meet the fate of Rohit Vemula.
---
*PhD (Modern History), Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. This is the edited version of two separate articles by Dr Abhay Kumar distributed by Dalits Media Watch

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.