The Lingering Shadow: Caste, Academia, and a Scholar's Unfinished Fight at Kerala University

Well, here we are again, it seems. Another day, another deeply unsettling chapter unfolding within the hallowed—or perhaps, less hallowed than we’d like to believe—halls of academia. This time, the spotlight shines, rather harshly, on Kerala University, specifically its Sanskrit Department, where a battle, both personal and profoundly systemic, continues to rage.

At the heart of it all is Deepa P. Mohanan, a research scholar whose story, honestly, should have found its quiet resolution years ago. A Dalit woman, she’s been fighting for her rightful PhD admission, and more crucially, a research guide, a fight that has now, you could say, reached a boiling point. And it's not just a squabble over paperwork; it’s a full-blown crisis, laced with very serious allegations of caste discrimination against prominent figures within the university itself.

Remember 2019? Deepa certainly does. That’s when she embarked on an arduous 114-day hunger strike, a desperate plea for justice that finally caught the High Court’s attention. The court, quite unequivocally, ordered the university to ensure her PhD admission. One might assume, or perhaps hope, that would be the end of it. But life, and institutions, rarely work with such straightforward linearity, do they?

Fast forward to today, and Deepa’s struggle, lamentably, persists. She claims the university, despite judicial directives, is still denying her a guide. Now, this isn't just about administrative delays. No, the finger points directly, unflinchingly, at Dr. S. Jaya, the current Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, and Dr. K.S. Rekha, the Head of the Sanskrit Department. The accusations? Nothing less than deliberate caste bias. Think about that for a moment: allegations of caste discrimination against top academics in a public institution, even after a court order.

It gets more intricate, naturally. Deepa alleges that Dr. Jaya, for instance, flat-out refused to sign her PhD application. And then, there’s the particularly galling claim that the Dean actively attempted to appoint another student—one, Deepa insists, with lesser qualifications—in her place. It’s hard to imagine a scenario more designed to erode trust, isn't it? As for Dr. Rekha, the HOD? Deepa suggests a distinct lack of support, even collaboration, with the Dean's alleged tactics.

But the plot thickens further. There’s a political undercurrent here, too. Dr. Jaya, it's widely known, holds a significant position as a leader within the CPM. So, is this merely an academic disagreement, or are deeper, more insidious currents of political influence and systemic prejudice at play? Deepa certainly believes the latter, and it's a difficult point to dismiss out of hand given the circumstances.

A university-appointed Syndicate sub-committee, in truth, has already weighed in. Their findings? They reportedly uncovered irregularities in the admission process itself and, significantly, recommended disciplinary action against Dr. Jaya. You’d think, wouldn't you, that such a finding would prompt swift, decisive action. Yet, for now, the Syndicate meeting meant to discuss this very report was, quite tellingly, postponed. A delay, in this context, feels less like due process and more like, well, something else entirely.

Deepa P. Mohanan, for her part, remains resolute. This isn’t just about her PhD anymore; it’s about a principle, a deeply held belief in justice and equality that, frankly, should be non-negotiable in any educational institution. Her fight continues, a poignant reminder that even in modern India, the shadows of ancient prejudices, unfortunately, still loom large over our brightest minds and institutions.