Online harassment and caste violence against Dr. Murmu

To


The Honorable Chairperson


National Commission for Scheduled Tribes


New Delhi


Dear Sir


Sub: Online harassment and caste violence against Dr. Murmu


Dr. Maroona Murmu is an Associate Professor of the Department of History, Jadavpur University. In the Brahmanical landscape of academia in West Bengal, she is one of the few Adivasi women to have catapulted into success and prominence. Dr. Murmu is vocal on the rights of Adivasis and regularly addresses the issue of violence against Adivasis on print and other media. For this, she is heavily attacked by various individuals who cannot come to terms with the lopsided power dynamics that is rigged against Adivasis.


As academics, artists and members of civil society, we have been appalled at the casteist hatred Dr. Murmu has had to face. Her credibility as an academic and her ability to teach are regularly questioned. More recently, this has catapulted into name calling over her Adivasi and Santhal heritage. A case in point is a shameful attack on Dr. Murmu by a student of the esteemed Department of Bengali, Bethune College, one Paromita Ghosh. On 3rd September, 2020, Dr. Murmu had in a social media post expressed her opinion that the loss of one year is nothing compared to the loss of life. Therefore, according to Dr. Murmu, examinations should not be held during the pandemic. Ms. Ghosh assumed that Dr. Murmu is speaking from the privileged position of a quota beneficiary. Further, Ms. Ghosh referred to those who access caste and community-based reservations as “meritless idiots” (“jogyotaheen opodartho”). Ms. Ghosh on a social media post “reminded” Dr. Murmu that she is after all a Santhal Adivasi and she and academics like her draw their pay checks without any actual labour.


Not only is this extremely insulting towards academics who provide the valuable service of knowledge production to the economy, it is thoroughly insulting to the academic credentials of Dr. Murmu. It is our assumption that no student would ever make a similarly insulting comment towards an upper caste professor, more so since academia in West Bengal is an extremely hierarchized affair (quite unfortunately).


The attempts of the same student to justify her blatantly casteist action by claiming that she is respectful towards another minority academic also constructs a binary of who can and who cannot be respected. Further, the student claimed that Dr. Murmu and those like her use their surnames to access undue advantages and if they do not want to be insulted, they should remove their surnames and stop accessing all government “benefits” that their surnames bring them. This is blatant victim blaming as Ms. Ghosh is blaming Dr. Murmu for the insults Ms. Ghosh has herself heaped upon Dr. Murmu. Ms. Ghosh has constructed her caste hatred as rightful anger, thereby dressing her violence in a garb of legitimacy. When the Head of the Department of Bengali, Bethune College made a social media post about the repeated ill behaviour of the student (Paromita Ghosh) in question, online violence forced her to delete the post.


Our casteist society does not sensitize its young members of the long history of violence against Adivasis, Dalits, and Bahujans and the need for affirmative action for the purpose of representation which has been previously stolen from them. Plenty like this student abound in our society and if someone as illustrious as Dr. Murmu can fall prey to such violence, it chills us to think of what the average Adivasi student must go through in academic spaces. Keeping in mind all those Adivasi students, academics and staff who struggle every day, we request the Honorable Commission for Scheduled Tribes to:


1. To take cognizance of the ongoing violence against Dr. Murmu and direct an impartial investigation into the same


2. To direct strict action and implementation of the Prevention of Atrocities Act, as a deterrent to people who stoop to using caste violence


3. To institute a mechanism where victims/survivors of caste violence can have their grievances addressed without fear of reprisals


Looking forward to prompt action from your side.


Regards,


Prof. Romila Thapar, Writer and Historian


Tanika Sarkar, Professor (retd.), Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University


Sumit Sarkar, Professor (retd.), History, Delhi University


Supriya Chaudhuri, Emeritus Professor, Jadavpur University


Bobby Kunhu, Lawyer and Writer


Ruby Hembrom, publisher, adivaani.


Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University


Samita Sen, Vere Hamsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History, University of Cambridge


Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Distinguished Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies & Dean’s Professor of Humanities, Syracuse University.


Kaustav Bakshi, Department of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata


Satya P. Mohanty, Professor of English, Cornell University.


Ayesha Kidwai, Professor of Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University.


Rimi B. Chatterjee, Professor of English, Jadavpur University.


Vinutha Mallya, editor and journalist.


Nandini Sundar, Professor of Sociology, Delhi University


Prasad Chacko, Social Activist, Ahmedabad


Namrata Sharma, Rural Development Professional, Bihar


Surya Shankar Dash, Filmmaker, Odisha


P S Manoj Kumar, Assistant Professor (History], Sri C Achutha Menon Govt College, Thrissur


Khadijah Faruqui, Human rights activist, New Delhi


Rahi Soren, Assistant Professor, Jadavpur University


Mythri Prasad- Aleyamma, Post doctoral fellow, Graduate Center, City University of New York.


V. Sasi Kumar, Climate Kerala, Pama Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Sciences.


Dr. Suresh Kumar, Associate Professor (Rtd.) The Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, University of Calicut, Kerala


P J Cherian, Pama Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Sciences.


Ekabali Ghosh, M. Phil. student, Dept. of English, Jadavpur University.


N. Paul Divakar, Convenor, Global Forum on DWD & Asia Dalit Rights Forum


Neetisha Xalxo, Assistant Professor ,Hindi, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi.


Sameer Bhagat, Author, Ranchi, Jharkhand.


Dr.Gomati Bodra Hembrom,Associate Professor,Department of Sociology,Jamia Millia Islamia,New Delhi


Virginius Xaxa, Former Professor of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics.Lukmanul


Hakeem.K, Assistant Professor of History, University of Calicut, Kerala


Jagadish G Chandra, Political activist, Bangalore.


Rosemary Marandi, Freelance Journalist and Writer, Goa


Nandini Saha, Professor of English, Jadavpur university, Kolkata


Ramesh Kamble,Formerly, Head, Department of Sociology, University of Mumbai


Reep Pandi Lepcha, Assistant Professor, Nar Bahadur Bhandari Degree College, Sikkim.


Alf Gunvald Nilsen, Professor, University of Pretoria, South Africa.


Richard Toppo, PhD researcher, Erasmus University Rotterdam


Marva. M, Illustrator, Writer, Kerala.


Akash Poyam, Copy editor, The Caravan, New Delhi


N.Rajaram, Former Professor, Central University of Gujarat


Sujata Sahani , Ph.D Scholar, Department of Odia Language and Literature, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack,Odisha.


Subhajit Naskar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of International Relations, Jadavpur University.


Cheran Subramanian, Software Engineer, Sunnyvale, US


Bipasha Rosy Lakra, Assistant Professor, department of Political Science, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi.


Anjali Rai, Communication Officer, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, New Delhi


Priyanka Das, Assistant Professor of English, Presidency University, Kolkata


Mahitosh Mandal, Assistant Professor of English, Presidency University, Kolkata


Neeladri Bhattacharya, Professor (Rtd.), Centre for Historical Studies, JNU.


Debolina Biswas, Assistant Professor, Gurudas College, Kolkata


Tathagata Sengupta, Reader, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai.


Sangeeta Dasgupta, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, New Delhi.


Dr Suvrashree Panda, Assistant Professor, National law University Odisha


Regina Hansda, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University, UK


Sukesh Ekka, Software Consultant, UK


Ninian Nauneet Kujur, Assistant Professor, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi


Aniruddha Dutta, Associate Professor, University of Iowa.


Prosenjit Das, student, activist, Ranaghat.


Aashish Khakha, ICSSR Doctoral Fellow, School of Development Studies, TISS Mumbai


Abdul Matin, Asst Professor, Jadavpur University, kolkata


Hembrom Mrinal, Associate Consultant, Pdag, New Delhi & Ranchi


Dr FARHANA KHATOON, Assistant Professor, vivekananda College Madhyamgram Kolkata.


Karan P, Analyst, Mumbai


Suman Marandi, Advocate, Jharkhand High Court.


Afsal Rahman, Journalist, New Delhi


Chinmaya Shah, Dev Professional, Uttarakhand


Rajkumar Bidla, International.Development Consultant, London, United Kingdom


Anupama Mohan, Assistant Professor of English, Presidency University


Suddhaseel Sen, Assistant Professor of English, IIT-Bombay


Tithi Bhattacharya, Professor, Purdue University


Utsa Ray, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Chandrani Banerjee Mukherjee, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Tilottama Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Suchetana Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of History, Jadavpur University.


Samarpita Mitra, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Swati Moitra, Assistant Professor, Gurudas College, University of Calcutta


Shibthakur Hembram, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Presidency University.


Shayeari Dutta, Assistant Professor, Surendranath College, University of Calcutta.


Anuradha Roy, Professor, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Sumit Chakrabarti, Professor of English, Presidency University


Beena Pallical, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights


Achin Vanaik, Retd. Professor, University of Delhi


Pranav Jani, Associate Professor, Department of English, Ohio State University


Mousumi Mandal, Assistant Professor, Presidency University


Kasturi Basu, Independent documentary filmmaker and writer, Kolkata


A P Rajaram, Department of Performing Arts, Presidency University


Lakshmi Menon, Assistant Professor, VTM NSS College, University of Kerala


Prithviraj Guha, Assistant Professor, Presidency University


Soumendu Chatterjee, Professor in Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata.


Sujay Thakur, Assistant Professor, Gangadharpur Mahavidyamandir, University of Calcutta


Dr. Samana Madhuri, Assistant Professor, Chandrakona Vidyasagar Mahavidyalaya, Vidyasagar University


Jahira Hossain, Assistant Professor, Surendranath College, University of Calcutta


Amita Kanekar, Independent Researcher and Novelist


Sharanya, Cultural Activist, Koraput


Rajaraman, Researcher, Koraput


Sayan Bhattacharya, Doctoral Candidate, University of Minnesota


Bindu M Mannil , Faculty Member, Azim Premji University, Bangalore


Nandita Dhawan, Director, School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University


Senjuti Ghosh, student of DHCI at SCTR; Researcher at KnIDS


Dr. Atasi Nanda Goswami, Research coordinator, Centre for Knowledge Ideas and Development (KnIDS)


Soma Mandal, Jadavpur University


Ashwini dash, student, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack


Manas Ghosh, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Film Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata


Abhijit Gupta, Department of English, Jadavpur University


Asim Mondal, Department of English, Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur.


Sudeshna Banerjee, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Samhita Barooah, Queer Up, Guwahati, Assam


Nagesh Rao, Colgate University, Hamilton, USA


Johny Joel Tudu, Advocate, Delhi


Amites Mukhopadhyay, Department of Sociology, Jadavpur University


Binita Ekka, MPhil scholar in Psychiatric Social work, TISS, Mumbai


Sony Silvanus Tudu, student


Rahul K, student, TISS, Mumbai


Lalrinawmi, Research Fellow, Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University


Supriyo Das, Presidency University


Sanjib Biswas, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata


Partha Pratim Ray, General Secretary, Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association


Sumit Adhikari, Global Head, Talent Engagement and Development, RMSI, Noida


Sudip Kumar Naskar, Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering., Jadavpur University


Durba Basu, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Swarnamoyee Jogendranath Mahavidyalaya, Purba Medinipur.


Chintan kr Mandal,Dept of Comp Sc and Engn., Jadavpur University


Dhiraj Barman, Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata


Arijit Sen, Researcher, Kolkata


Dipak Kesh, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata


Anirban Mondal, PhD student. CSSSC/JU


Piyali Sur, Professor, Department of Sociology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata


Bhimsen Tudu, Assistant Professor, Department of Power Engg, Jadavpur University


Anwesha Sengupta, Assistant Professor, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK)


Debolina Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, Sociology J.D.Birla Institute Kolkata


Kopal, Assistant Professor, English Literature, AUD


Kaustubh Mani Sengupta, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Bankura University


Irani Banerji Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Mugberia Gangadhar Mahavidyalaya, Purba Medinipore


Gargi Gangopadhyay, Department of English, Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan


Mala Mitra, Professor,Department of Physics, Sister Nivedita University


Dr. Gargi Saha Kesh, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Vijoygarh Jyotish Ray College, Kolkata


Abhijit Roy, Professor, Department of Film Studies, Jadavpur University


Adharshila Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Women’s Christian College, Kolkata


Soma Roy, Associate Professor, Department of English, Women’s Christian College,Kolkata


Anirban Bhattacharya, Research Head, Centre for Equity Studies


Dr. Santi Saren, Assistant Professor, Department of Bengali, Presidency University.


Shahnaz Begum, Assistant Professor, Purnidevi Chowdhury Girls’ College, Bolpur, Birbhum.


Sarbani Bandyopadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, St.


Xavier’s College


Saugata Bhaduri, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University


Hurmal Saren, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Maharaja Manindra Chandra College


Akanksha Tirkey , M.A. Final Year , Banaras Hindu University .


Mahashweta Acharjee, UG Student, Department of English, Women’s Christian College, Kolkata.


Kaustav Bakshi, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Jadavpur University.


Sreya Acharyay, UG Student, Department of English, Women’s Christian College, Kolkata.


Sunando Kr. Patra, Assistant Professor, Bangabasi Evening College, Kolkata


Urba Chaudhuri, Education Worker, Kolkata


Subhajit Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata


Sreemati Mukherjee, Professor, Department if Performing Arts, Presidency University


Aditi Mukherji, Principal Researcher, International Water Management Institute, New Delhi office, and IPCC author


Annie Barla, student B.Sc. Forestry, BAU, Kanke, Jharkhand


Susmita Adhikari, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University


Rangeet Sengupta, Assistant Professor, Khejuri College, Purba Medinipur


Kingsuk Dasgupta, Doctoral Scholar, Dept. of History, Jadavpur University.


Amrita DasGupta, alumnus School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University.


Bratati Hore (Sen), Associate Professor, S.N.College for Women, Kolkata.


Niladri R. Chatterjee, Professor, University of Kalyani.


Probal Dasgupta, Retired Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.


Benil Biswas, Assistant Professor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi.


Sudeshna Mitra, PG Student,Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Calcutta.


Chitrangada Choudhury, Journalist and Researcher


Surjya Kumar Das, Ph. D Scholar, Jadavpur University


Dr. Shampa Sarkar Biswas, Assistant Professor Department of Life sciences,


Presidency University, Kolkata


Prof. Tarun Kanti Naskar, Mechanical Engg. Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata


Riddhima Sharma, FemPositive


Samira Nadkarni, Assistant Professor, Department of English, St. Andrew’s College, Mumbai.


Prof. Nupur Dasgupta, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Mr. Saheb Ram Tudu, Assistant Professor, Department of Plastic Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi


Manoranjan Joddar,Bangabasi college


Dipesh Majumdar Assistant Professor Department of Construction Engineering Jadavpur University


Nazes Afroz, Journalist and Photographer


Samir Adhikary, Assistant Professor in philosophy, NBS Mahavidyalaya


Shilpa Mondal, Ph.d Research Scholar, Department of History, Jadavpur University.


Sravasti Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of English, Mahadevananda Mahavidyalaya, Monirampore, Barrackpore, West Bengal


Sugata Hazra, Professor, Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University


Dipayan Rudra. PhD.


Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea


Jessica Kandulna, Student, BHU


Sandip Ain, Professor of English, Bankura University.


Prof. Nandadulal Bairagi, Department of


Mathematics, Jadavpur University


Meeta Bala, Assistant Professor, Kalipada Ghosh Tarai Mahavidyalaya, Bagdogra.


TUHIN HAQUE, Research Scholar, Jadavpur University,Kolkata


Dr Nirmal Kumar Mahato, Assistant Professor, University of Gour Banga


Dr Trishna Sarkar, Asst Prof, University of Delhi.


Kaberi Mondal, Ph.d Research Scholar, Department of History, Jadavpur University.


Dr. Gopalji Pradhan, Professor, AUD


Dr. Suchetana Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Jadavpur University


Dr. Randall Sequeira, independent practioner, Kalahandi, Odisha


Pranati H., Student, Tata Institute of Social Sciences- Guwahati


Malini Ghosh, Ph. D research scholar, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Anindya Mukherjee, Mountaineer, Adventurist.


Varuni Bhatia, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University, Bangalore


Prof.Sumita Mukhopadhyay


HOD,Department of Bengali


BethuneCollege


Ms.Indira Banerjee, phD student, Jadavpur University


Preeta Bhattacharya , Assistant Professor, Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta


Basundhara Chakraborty, PhD scholar, Department of English, Jadavpur University


Ritwik Bagchi, PhD Research scholar, Department of History, Jadavpur University


Subhasree Basu, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Loreto College, Kolkata


Poulami Ray. Phd student Dept of History Jadavpur University.


Swati Hansda,Assistant Professor, Department of Geography,Mahadevananda Mahavidyalaya, Monirampore,Barrackpore.


Priyankara Chakraborty, PhD Research Scholar, Department of history, Jadavpur University


Bhaswati Chatterjee, Associate Professor, Vidyasagar College, Kolkata.


Anasuya Bhar, Associate Professor, St. Paul’s Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata.


Sunanda Ray, Associate Professor, Department of English, Maharaja Srischandra College, Kolkata.


Mayurakshi Das, Assistant Professor, Departmentt of History, TDB College, Raniganj


Rajarshi Mukherjee, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Shyampur Siddheswari Mahavidyalaya, Howrah.


Mangala Gouri Chakraborty, Associate Professor, Department of English, Loreto College, Kolkata


Sourav Ghosh, PhD scholar, Department of History, University of California, Berkeley.


Sunalini Kumar, Associate Professor, Ambedkar University Delhi