Casteism in Indian Universities

Knowledge, at least in its a priori form, promises to be liberating. The basic thought of being able to learn, to question, to unlearn and then to relearn is deeply empowering. However, knowledge production and knowledge dissemination seldom remain under the control of one single individual. Knowledge can become liberating and empowering only if its systemic functioning is informed by the logic of equity, empathy and respect. The space of a university, more so a public university, is theoretically meant to be that place where the individual navigates social and cultural fissures encountered in the outside world. But what happens when this space, which promises socio-cultural emancipation, is itself riddled with hierarchical notions of merit and privilege? What if the rosy-eyed emancipatory potentialities of the university space end up being a dystopian universe? What if the university has simply become a crude extension of the outside world?