Page 73 - EW February 2023

Sukumar attempts to draw Scholarships are termed how the practice of suicidal thoughts.
a direct linkage between ‘charity scholarships’ if publishing the entrance The book lays bare such
the conceptualisation of they are awarded to SC exam merit list reflects veiled forms of casteism
merit and socio-cultural students. Sukumar elabo- the varnashram dharma, and makes an appeal to
values of the privileged rates on how even if SC as the list always begins reflect and deliberate
castes. enrollment has increased with the general category, on the lived experiences
The narrative provides from the 1970s, the total followed by the OBCs and through multiple case
data featuring responses number of fellowships is SCs. This merit pyramid studies. By making use
of students concerning stagnant. Furthermore, remains unreversed even if of ‘interpretative phe-
casteist aspersions during some universities reinforce the SCs score more marks. nomenological analysis’,
M. Phil/Ph D interviews, segregation by maintaining The persistent usage Sukumar lets students
deliberately less marks caste ghettoes in hostels. of derogatory terms like narrate their horrid stories
being given to reserved Problems of Dalit girl ‘quota children’, ‘category in their own way, without
category students, unfair students go unnoticed, wallahs’, ‘preppies’, ‘baka- corrupting their stream
grade markings and less especially cases pertaining suras’ (gourmand) and of anger and mourning
time with teachers and to sexual harassment. ‘kumbhakarnas’ (one who with his own analysis. By
examiners for further Apart from these is naturally lazy and sleeps turning academic spaces
clarifications, among slightly more overt for long hours) recurring into narrative zones of
others. SC scholars are forms of discrimination, episodes of curious aston- shared experiences, the
pigeonholed as ‘Dalit’ Sukumar is not afraid to ishment tinged with mock- argument is quite simply,
scholars. Body language deliberate on subtle forms ery for the ‘merit’ caste. to see this space as one of
and ‘deviant’ behavioural of discrimination which Sukumar deftly nudges our ‘self-reflexivity’ instead of
signals are commented he terms “bureaucratic attention to show how this ‘self-improvement’.
upon by staff and faculty semiotics”. To quote an normalisation of casteist SURAJKUMAR THUBE
members. example, he observes slurs pushes students to (The Book Review)

FEBRUARY 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 73