Mahaparinirvan Diwas: 100 Days of an Ambedkar's Daughter Fighting Against Caste Discrimination in Education

New Delhi - On Babasaheb Ambedkar's Mahaparinirvan Diwas, as people around the world remember this great person, it's important not to forget the challenges faced by his followers. Dr. Ritu Singh has been protesting at the Arts Faculty for 100 days now, standing against the caste discrimination she experienced from Principal Savita Roy of Daulat Ram College.

Dr. Ritu Singh, like almost all people from the marginalized sections, considers Babasaheb Ambedkar as her spiritual father and role model. She posted on X (formerly Twitter) saying, “You will always be our guide and role model, BABA SAHEB! Legends Never Die. Your children will continue to carry forward your movement and legacy upwards and onwards. जय भीम! #Ambedkar”

Dr. Ritu Singh, a Dalit educator with a doctoral degree in Psychology from Delhi University, faced termination without notice from her ad-hoc teaching position at Daulat Ram College. She attributes her dismissal to caste discrimination. Initially appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Scheduled Caste category in August 2019, she was terminated in August 2020.

Singh alleges that Principal Savita Roy discriminated against her based on her caste during her tenure at Daulat Ram College, prompting her protest outside the Arts Faculty of Delhi University. Despite facing severe caste-based discrimination, Singh initially protested for ten days in 2020 but had to discontinue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continuing her legal battle, Singh discovered that the principal presented a forged letter in court, signed by alleged dissatisfied students who did not exist on the college campus. Investigations revealed the falsehood, leading to the filing of a charge sheet against Roy under the SC/ST Act. However, no action has been taken against the principal, who was subsequently promoted and appointed as General Secretary of the Principal’s Association.

Despite the struggle and legal actions, Singh remains in protest, demanding the removal of Dr. Savita Roy and drawing attention to the systemic caste discrimination she has faced.

For the past three years, Dr. Ritu Singh's relentless pursuit of justice has never stopped. Despite the challenges faced by the marginalized, she expresses the difficulty of obtaining justice. However, her immense faith in the constitution, crafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, fuels her determination to persist in the fight for justice.

For over 3 months now, the Ambedkarite professor has been residing on the street just outside the Arts Faculty, drawing attention to her struggle. According to her, the physical labour is insignificant compared to the mental abuse she has endured from her oppressors. She no longer seeks just a job; she demands justice.

Evidence of Wrongdoings by DRC Principal

Dr. Ritu Singh's struggle recently reached its 100th day, and in light of this, she revealed a letter from the Chairman of the governing body of Daulat Ram College to the Government.

In a letter addressed to P.K Singh, Under Secretary of the Government of India in the Ministry of Education, Suneeta Sudarshan, the Chairman of the Governing Body of DRC, highlighted the casteist nature of the crimes committed against Dr. Ritu Singh. The letter read, “In this connection, I regret that neither the University nor the D.R.C. Principal Dr. Savita Roy tried to resolve the matter and are instead displaying it as a Trophy won by them over a sensitive sub-caste issue, where Dr. Savita Roy has played an extremely dirty role. Not only has she tarnished the career and assassinated the character of a good teacher at a time when ad-hoc teachers are jobless and orders were passed by the MHRD not to replace or remove them as they had no scope for fresh recruitment or interviews which were lulled due to the covid pandemic, but she has also illegally resorted to the misuse of Principal's powers.”

Also Read-