The caste thread travels overseas
Dalit students studying abroad hope to escape oppressive caste hierarchies, only to find that the dominant-caste diaspora has exported its prejudice into classrooms and social settings across borders, reports Radheshyam Jadhav
Sanjana Choudhary, a 23-year-old aspiring South Asian History scholar, embarked on a fresh start at Oxford on a prestigious scholarship. However, her hopes for a caste-free environment quickly evaporated. Rising from a Dalit background in Bhopal, she quickly realized that her Indian peers, predominantly from dominant castes, were more comfortable—some even actively hostile—when confronted with her caste identity.
Meanwhile, the tragedy of Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student at IIT Bombay, highlighted the pervasive caste-based harassment in elite Indian institutions. These events, separated by distance yet connected by shared experiences, underscore the enduring sting of caste in academia and society.
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- The caste thread travels overseas thehindu.com
