Dalit professor alleges caste bias, surveillance at Indian university
Sociology head in southern India says “urban Naxal” label triggered boycott, stalled promotion and monitoring, raising concerns over caste bias in academia
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Dalit professor at a public university in southern India has alleged caste-based targeting, surveillance and professional retaliation after being labeled an “urban Naxal,” a politically charged term often used to accuse academics or activists of links to left-wing insurgency without proven ties.
Sujatha Surepally, who heads the Sociology Department at Satavahana University in Karimnagar — a city in Telangana state, about 160 kilometers north of Hyderabad — said she is facing social boycott and institutional hostility on campus.
She accused university authorities of discouraging students from interacting with her over alleged ideological links, a move she said undermines academic freedom and isolates her within the institution.
Surepally also alleged that she was denied promotion to the senior administrative post of Registrar despite being eligible, and removed from key academic roles, including her position as dean of an arts faculty.
She raised concerns about increased surveillance, saying cameras had been installed near her office and that her movements were being monitored, describing it as a violation of privacy and an attempt to intimidate.
The professor further alleged a sustained campaign to discredit her, including being labeled “anti-national,” a term frequently used in India to stigmatize dissent.
She accused a colleague of initiating the campaign based on personal grievances, saying earlier inquiries had found allegations linking her to Maoist groups to be unfounded, but that the claims resurfaced following the colleague’s return to the university.
Surepally has filed complaints with the Telangana State Commission for Scheduled Castes and local police, accusing both the colleague and the university’s vice chancellor of enabling harassment and caste-based discrimination.
Her case also highlights the broader position of Dalits — historically marginalized communities placed at the bottom of India’s caste hierarchy — who continue to report discrimination in higher education despite legal protections.
She said a Dalit student activist at the university is facing similar treatment, raising concerns about efforts to silence voices critical of institutional practices.
The allegations have drawn national attention, with more than 200 academics and activists urging the Telangana state government to intervene and ensure accountability under laws designed to prevent caste-based atrocities.
Advocacy groups say the case reflects deeper structural issues within India’s academic institutions, where questions of caste, dissent and political labeling increasingly intersect.
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