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By Writing Team
I. Introduction
Caste-based discrimination and oppression have been a persistent social issue in India, affecting millions of individuals from historically marginalised communities. One of the most significant impacts of caste-based discrimination is the exclusion and marginalisation of Dalits from the country's education system, especially higher education. Despite constitutional provisions and affirmative action policies, Dalit students continue to face systemic discrimination and harassment in educational institutions, hindering their academic and professional growth.
This article aims to explore the prevalence and nature of caste-based oppression of Dalit students in higher educational institutions in India by reflecting on the film ‘Quota – The Reservation’ and drawing upon the works of Gopal Guru and Krishna Kumar. Through this analysis, this article aims to discover various theories of oppression like anti-social mobility and hegemonic control that Dalit students face because of their caste.
A. Summary of the film
‘Quota - The Reservation’ is based on real incidents. It depicts Dalit Students who have lost their lives facing prejudice and harassment due to Casteism like Rohit Vemula from Hyderabad, Payal Tadvi from Mumbai, Balmukund Bharti from New Delhi and many more. It overviews the perception towards the Reservation System in India by Upper Caste students who feel that Dalit students are undeserving and only get admission in prestigious colleges just on the basis of the Caste Reservation provided to them. Saurabh Rawat a first-year Dalit Medical Student encounters Caste discrimination by an Upper Caste Student Pankaj Shukla, Saurabh opposes this incident but Pankaj abuses him physically. Saurabh tries to complain to the College complaint redressal committee but they deny accepting any incident linked to Caste discrimination and takes no action. Simultaneously, a professor tries to make him feel further miserable by deliberately failing him over the course of 1st year. Saurabh accompanied by his friends knocks on the doors of many sources to get his answer sheet rechecked, Unable to get any help Saurabh decides to do something big and his action creates a huge revolution among the Dalit students across the nation. Finally, he gets justice, providing a strong message to society.
II. Understanding dalits and their marginalization
Before discussing the problems that Dalits face, it is important to answer the question, Who are Dalits? The term “Dalit”, given by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, is used to refer to people who were previously called “untouchables” and are at the lowest stardom of castes in India. Previously, the Dalits were considered impure to the extent that they were regarded as contaminated by the upper caste. The reason behind this “impure status” was their traditional, inherited occupations, which were viewed as “polluting” or degrading, such as handling leather, disposing of animal carcasses, working as manual scavengers, or doing sanitation work. There have been some improvements in their condition but still, this community is highly marginalised in all domains especially, education. Gopal Guru in his article ‘How Egalitarian Are the Social Sciences in India?’ maps the reason for this intellectual marginalisation to the non-egalitarian educational structure of institutions. Focusing on the domain of social sciences, he explains how the institutions restrict the involvement of Dalits or people of lower caste in empirical research and they are denied entry into theoretical research, which is considered the domain of upper-caste because they are considered inherently dumb and incapable of producing theoretical knowledge. This creates a divide within the social sciences, where the so-called “theoretical brahmins”, holds privileged status and are considered intellectually superior due to their reflective capacity to dominate the field while the “empirical shudras," are viewed as an inferior mass of academics who primarily engage in empirical social science and are limited to conducting basic research.
A. Restricted Social Mobility
The issue of restricted “social mobility”, which refers to the limited opportunities and barriers Dalits face in accessing and progressing through social institutions hindering their overall social and economic advancement, is not just limited to social research but is a prevalent problem in many higher educational institutions. The marginalisation faced by Dalits is twofold, not only in gaining access to educational institutions but also in pursuing their education at these institutions. Despite affirmative policies such as reservation, which guarantees admission for marginalised communities, the structured discrimination they face within these institutions is still rampant. The film "Quota - The Reservation" effectively captures this form of oppression. In one of the early scenes of the movie, the Dalit students who have entered the educational institutions through the reservation policy are derogatorily referred to as “Quota wale” by many upper-caste students and faculty members. This labelling reflects the negative perception held by many individuals who view these students as undeserving beneficiaries of reserved seats. According to this perspective, these students are seen as taking the spots that should have been occupied by more deserving and capable individuals solely because of their caste status. This perception not only stigmatises Dalit students but also undermines their achievements and potential. It reinforces the notion that their success is solely attributed to the reservation policy rather than their own capabilities and hard work. By marginalising and questioning the legitimacy of Dalit students’ presence in higher educational institutions, this attitude perpetuates discrimination and hampers their academic and professional growth. The film highlights how these stereotypes and prejudices contribute to an environment of hostility and exclusion for Dalit students. They are subjected to social ostracism, biased treatment, and a lack of acceptance from their peers and faculty members. This discriminatory environment creates additional barriers for Dalit students, making it challenging for them to fully engage in their educational pursuits and hindering their overall academic experience.
B. Hegemonic Oppression
As discussed before, discrimination against Dalits students is not just limited to the scope of admission in the institutes. However, when Dalit students enter these institutions, which were previously just limited to the upper caste experience a kind of hierarchical hegemony functioning against them. Certain scenes in the film portray this hegemonic expression of Dalits, the scene where Saurabh, a Dalit student was beaten by a group of upper caste senior students in response to his revolt against their orders. The upper-caste student reminded Saurabh that he being a Chamar “a casteist term” by the cast is below them as they were Brahmins. Gopal Guru discusses how this expression of power over marginalised groups ignores or rejects ideas from groups like Dalits and Adivasis, preventing them from being heard and causing them to feel like subalterns. The film also mentions how after several complaints, no action is taken against the upper cast students who had beaten Saurabh and how the liaison officers are just puppets of the authorities, depicting how the whole structure of the institution is establishing a kind of hegemony by being discriminatory against the Dalits and the students entering through reservation.
Kumar in his book “Social Character of Learning” also discusses how hegemony can be reinforced by creating a teaching curriculum that unfairly represents certain communities. This allows dominant groups to assert their power and aggression over excluded or underrepresented groups. As a result, members of these marginalised groups are forced to identify with the symbols of dominant groups, which can cause them to feel inferior. Unfortunately, this educational experience, which is supposed to improve the lives of SC and ST groups, often reinforces their subservient position in society. In essence, the educational system trains younger members of these communities to internalise their lower status.
C. Intellectual Restriction
As noted by Justice Chandrachud, various affirmative provisions like the reservation policy, Article 15(4) & Article 16(4) were put in place to end the exploitation based on caste. These provisions were meant to ensure that citizens of independent India could enjoy equal rights and live with dignity. Unfortunately, the aim of these provisions remains unfulfilled, particularly in terms of education for Dalits. Gopal Guru also notes in his article that Dalits are often denied equal access to intellectual resources restricting the development of their intellectual acumen and rejecting any scope of better capabilities. As per Gopal Guru, the upper castes want to keep Dalits marginalised and deny them opportunities to move beyond their traditional occupations. This is accomplished by eliminating opportunities that would benefit Dalits by adopting various strategies, such as canonising the discourse, which involves establishing a set of rules, procedures, and protocols to define what constitutes legitimate knowledge and who gets to produce it. Also, by establishing specialised institutions that focus on particular topics and ensure that the upper caste dominates these institutions. This allows them to control the production and dissemination of knowledge, perpetuating their dominance and marginalizing the voices and experiences of marginalised communities, such as the Dalits. These restrictions have been aptly portrayed in the film, when Saurabh, the Dalit student was deliberately failed by an upper-caste faculty member, Dr Trivedi and was denied any rechecking, despite doing exceptionally well in the exams. Failing in exams denied him access to one of the prestigious professions, limiting him to the marginalised life where he would just face discrimination and oppression.
III. Personal Experience
Apart from the incidents of discrimination mentioned earlier, I have also witnessed instances of discrimination against Shaan, one of my classmates who were from a Dalit family. Shaan joined our school in the sixth standard, which was a convent school that generally admitted students from wealthy backgrounds. However, Shaan was able to secure admission with the help of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act, which guarantees 25% reservation in non-minority private unaided schools to children from poor and socially disadvantaged homes. Shaan was distinctive from other students both in appearance and nature, he was always nervous and overwhelmed by the presence of other students who were not of his kind. Many students regularly bullied him for his English-speaking skills and behaviour, which they deemed uncivilised. He was frequently excluded from conversations and groups, and he was always left alone, depriving him of any opportunity for intellectual or social interaction that could have been beneficial to him. Apart from excluding him, some students treated him like he was suffering from some contagious disease, they did not sit on the bench he sits on, and they washed their hands if he touches them by mistake. The bullying was not limited to the students alone. Some of the teachers also made offensive jokes about his caste and background. They often ignored his presence in class and did not consider the fact that he might have difficulty understanding the concepts due to language barriers. In the early classes, Shaan had requested teachers to translate some parts to Hindi so that he could understand them better, but after noticing the teachers' apathetic attitude, he stopped asking for any explanations. In short, the environment that he was in was very destructive for him, discouraging him from having aspirations of a better future for himself and his family. This continuous discouragement led to him dropping off that school the very next year exemplifying how educational institutions do not offer a safe place to Dalits who are been discriminated against for generations.
IV. Conclusion
As mentioned before, creating a truly equitable and just society has always been the ultimate aim of the constitution and policymakers. However, discrimination against marginalised groups, such as Dalits, continues to persist in various forms, hindering progress towards achieving this goal. Despite the implementation of affirmative steps, marginalised students still face obstacles in accessing quality education, which perpetuates the cycle of poverty and social exclusion. To break this cycle, it is crucial to acknowledge the existence of discrimination and actively work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society through policies that ensure equal access to education and opportunities for all. Cultural sensitivity training for teachers and students, along with promoting awareness and appreciation for diverse cultures, can play a crucial role in overcoming the gaps that are left open by affirmative policies, adding further establishing an equal society for all.
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