Malappuram: A protest by a coalition of student and Dalit organisations over allegations of caste discrimination, academic harassment and mental harassment raised by Anagha Sasi, a Dalit research scholar at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, is set to intensify, with more organisations including the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) expected to join the agitation.
Anagha, a native of Kolenchery and a research scholar in the Environmental Science department, has been demanding that a case against those she has accused be registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and that the accused be arrested. She has said the agitation will continue until action is taken against those allegedly responsible for a series of incidents occurred over the past two years.
Several student and Dalit organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Ambedkarite Democratic Front (ADF), Kerala Students Union (KSU), Muslim Students Federation (MSF), Student Islamic Organisation (SIO), Kerala Dalit Federation (KDF) and Fraternity Movement, have expressed solidarity with Anagha.
AISA national president Neha Bora, who was at the forefront of the recent Jantar Mantar protest of CJP, has also expressed solidarity with her by posting a video on Anagha’s fight on her social media account, and she is expected to visit the protest venue this week. Protest organisers said the CJP would soon join the agitation.
Anagha has accused Environmental Science faculty members Dr Arun Babu and Dr Jaini Varghese of caste-based abuse and harassment. She claims that she submitted complaints to the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Research Director, Higher Education Minister, Chief Minister and the university’s SC/ST Cell in August 2025, but that no effective action followed.
She alleges that after joining the university for research in 2024, she was assigned duties unrelated to her academic work, including cleaning the laboratory, dusting and arranging equipment and materials. She also claims that she was asked to clean MSc and MA classrooms and was subjected to caste-based insults.
According to Anagha, she was told that she received her research fellowship not on merit but because of her caste. She further alleges that her doctoral committee was not convened for two years and that, after she raised complaints, attempts were made to portray her as mentally unstable and threats were made to reduce her fellowship.
She has also alleged that the university failed to act on a complaint of ragging involving another student who is an SFI leader.
University authorities had earlier clarified that the university’s SC/ST Cell had conducted an inquiry into the complaint of caste discrimination and submitted a report stating that no evidence was found to substantiate the allegations. Anagha disputes this claim, saying the report was never shown to her and accusing the university administration of attempting to mislead the public.
The university has now announced a special team to inquire into Anagha’s complaint. But a meeting involving the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and MLAs P K Navas and Kurukkoli Moideen on Sunday night failed to persuade Anagha and the protesters to withdraw the agitation. Anagha described the meeting as an attempt to defuse the protest without addressing its core demands.
She alleged that the MLAs were unwilling to directly engage with the protesters and said a permanent solution was needed so that no other Dalit student would face similar treatment.
Anagha has also alleged that her family was threatened by people supporting the accused teachers. She claimed that CPM workers contacted her parents and threatened them, while a university teacher allegedly approached the CPM area committee secretary in her native place to pressure her to withdraw the complaints.
The agitation escalated on Monday when the Fraternity Movement organised a march demanding the arrest of the faculty members facing allegations. The protest turned violent near the university gate, following which police resorted to a lathi charge. A group of students was also taken into custody in connection with the violence.
Arshad Azees, convenor of the protest council and state co-ordinator of AISA, said the agitation would continue until legal action was initiated against the accused faculty members under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrests were made. He also demanded action against those allegedly involved in ‘forged’ documents to protect the accused.
