— ✍️Saka Ram
The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh (IGNTU), seems to be deviating from the original objectives of its establishment. The university, which was supposed to be the centre of upliftment and inclusive education for tribal society, has today become an arena of ‘target politics’ and ‘institutional discrimination’. Recent developments have made it clear that voices speaking out for marginalised communities or abiding by rules and regulations are being silenced through a calculated tactic of fear.
An alarming pattern is emerging at the university. First, Dr Manohar, Dr Anil Kumar, and Dr Naresh Sonkar, dedicated professors who belong to the marginalised community, were targeted. Public slogans of ‘Manohar and Anil Murdabad’ were raised in front of the Admin building, and they were subjected to mental torture and entangled in a web of false cases. The question arises: where do these elements find the courage to humiliate a teacher who stands up for students’ rights in such a public and derogatory manner?
The same experience has been repeated in the case of Assistant Professor Dr Charles Varghese of the Sociology Department at the university campus. The attack and indecent behaviour at his residence in March 2026 have shaken the academic world. His reputation is being marred by serious but baseless charges of ‘conversion’ against him. It is a sad state of affairs that if one cannot be defeated by argument and academic discussion, then a direct attack on their character and physical assault is the new modus operandi at IGNTU Amarkantak, MP.
From the public humiliation of professors like Dr. Manohar, Dr Naresh Sonkar, and Dr. Anil Kumar to the recent attack on Dr. Charles Varghese and the brutal assault on a tribal student from Assam, the university environment has turned into what many are calling an "island of fear."
The harassment is not restricted to professors alone. The brutal assault on Hirose Jyoti Das, a tribal student from Assam, at one of the hostels in January 2026, is a blot on the academic history of this university. Who is responsible for the regional and caste-based insults heaped upon this student? Is this university really safe for Dalits and Adivasis? It is alleged by researchers that this university’s system is ‘tribal’ in name but not in practice; its administration is discriminatory.
The present state of affairs is a reflection of the abject failure of the university administration. While slogans of ‘Murdabad’ are being raised at this academic institution, and attacks are being made upon the homes of eminent professors like him, the curious silence of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar is a subject of many serious questions. Is this silence a reflection of incompetence or a conspiracy?
Why is this university administration not taking prompt action against those who openly flout academic discipline? This silence is a reflection of ‘silent support’ to anarchic forces that are transforming this academic institution into an ‘island of fear.’ The awakened students and teachers are asking: why has no concrete punitive action been taken against those who publicly insulted Dr Manohar, Dr Naresh Sonkar, and Dr Anil? Why is Dr Charles Varghese being made a 'soft target' on the basis of mere perceptions without conducting any impartial judicial inquiry?
These uncreative and destructive elements seem to have the tacit support and patronage of the ruling government. It appears that no one has the guts to selectively target Dalit-Adivasi students and teachers in a 'tribal' university without a 'green signal' from above. These power-drunk groups seem to be acting with the confidence that the administration will ensure that "not even a hair is harmed."
The fact that no strict legal action has been taken even months after the deadly attack on the Assamese student is a pointer to this. When temples of learning are being used for ideological policing, and the administration is a mere rubber stamp, democracy is in danger. The Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar of this premier institution of learning must be held accountable for how this institution of learning has been made a hub of institutional discrimination under their watch.
The author is a Research Scholar at Easwari School of Liberal Arts Department of Sociology and Anthropology, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh.