Townhall Times ..Both Congress and BJP often claim to be champions and well-wishers of Dalits, but when it comes to real issues of rights and dignity, they either stay silent or divert attention with a new topic. A recent incident from Karnataka highlights this contradiction.
Ten Dalit professors holding key administrative positions at Bengaluru University have written to the Vice-Chancellor alleging caste-based discrimination in appointments and service-related benefits. They have warned that if their demands are not met within a week, they will collectively resign from their administrative posts.
In a letter addressed to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jayakara Shetty on July 2, the professors explained that although they have been managing administrative duties alongside their teaching roles for years, they have only been given “supervisory” positions with limited powers. In contrast, teachers from other castes are appointed to influential, decision-making posts.
They called this practice a “discriminatory policy” against Dalit faculty and pointed out that earlier, the university administration provided earned leave (EL) encashment or compensation for extra administrative work, which has now been stopped without any explanation. Despite repeated appeals, the university has not responded to their complaints.
The professors who have threatened to resign include:
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Prof. Somashekhar C (Director, Ambedkar Research Center)
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Prof. Vijayakumar H Doddamani (Director, Babu Jagjivan Ram Research Center)
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Prof. Nagesh P C (Director, Students Welfare)
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Prof. Krishnamurthy G (Special Officer, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Cell)
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Prof. Sudesh V (Coordinator, PM-USHA)
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Prof. Muralidhar B L (Director, Centre for Distance and Online Education)
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Prof. Shashidhar M (Director, Malviya Teachers Training Institute)
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Prof. Ramesh (Director, Broadcasting)
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Dr. Suresh R (Director, Equal Opportunities Cell)
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Dr. Kumbinarasayya S (Director, BOL Center)
The professors emphasized that this is not merely about personal grievances but a collective protest against a systemic effort to sideline Dalit faculty members and deny them their rightful benefits. They said, “We are not being given full charge of our posts and are also being denied leave benefits, even though we dedicate our time without any additional remuneration. This is a coordinated attempt to marginalize us.”
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