Dalit youth alleges loss of job in U.K. due to caste discrimination by Pune college

Prem Birhade, a Dalit youth residing in London, claims he was denied a job opportunity in the United Kingdom due to caste discrimination by his former college in Pune. The college, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, allegedly failed to provide the verification certificate required by the employer in a timely manner. On Instagram, Mr. Birhade expressed his frustration in Marathi, stating, "I have lost my job because of the college," alleging that the college deliberately withheld the information to prevent him from advancing in life.

However, the college refuted these claims, asserting that they issued a bona fide certificate on October 14 and that no staff member had ever discussed his caste. The college stated that the refusal to issue the education reference was due to institutional norms and disciplinary considerations. Furthermore, the college claimed they had received complaints from the youth for abusing female teachers and had filed a complaint against him.

The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) organized a protest outside the college, with leaders suggesting that Mr. Birhade's family planned to file a criminal complaint against the college for the lost opportunity. The college accused Mr. Birhade of abusing women teachers and filed a complaint against him. Prakash Ambedkar, the founder of VBA, criticized the college's delayed response, questioning their motives for not replying to the company's email promptly.

In response, Gajanan Ekbote, the chairperson of the Progressive Education Society managing the college, explained that the company had sent two emails on September 30 and the following day. The college could not provide a recommendation letter without completing police verification, which was still pending at the time. Nonetheless, they had shared the certificate within ten minutes of receiving the second email from the company.