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On October 15, as PhD scholar Vipin Vijayan was defending his thesis, CN Vijayakumari, dean and head of Kerala University’s Sanskrit department, interrupted the event and said that the thesis needs to be resubmitted with changes.
What followed was a verbal duel between her and Dr Anil Pratap Giri, a Sanskrit professor at the Allahabad University, who was the chairman of the thesis examining committee.
In a video of the incident that has been circulating online, Dr Anil can be seen openly opposing Vijayakumari. “I am a reputed professor working in a Central University, and I disagree with the resubmission. I am the chairman of this open defence, and I say this thesis is valid as it is. Any correction can be incorporated during the time of the publication,” he said.
Anil’s declaration was received with applause from the scholars and students present in the hall.
Vipin belongs to the Pulaya caste, categorised as a Scheduled Caste in the state. He alleged that Vijayakumari refused to sign his thesis after the open defence, despite his guide, retired professor CA Shaila and Dr Anil signing and approving his work for the grant of a PhD.
“Why do you need a doctorate to add to your name? You have a Pulaya surname, that is enough,” Vijayakumari told me when I requested her to sign my PhD thesis, Vipin told TNM.
While individual universities can decide on their specific PhD protocols, for final approval, the thesis must be signed by the external member, the PhD guide, and the department head.
CA Shaila told TNM that several people who joined online to witness the open defence bombarded Vipin with questions, not allowing him time to answer. She also said that Vijayakumari insisted that Vipin speak in Sanskrit, something that the university does not mandate.
It has been a month since the incident occurred, and Vipin’s future remains uncertain.
Vijayakumari belongs to the dominant brahmin caste and is a member of the BJP’s senate at the university. Vipin alleges that he began facing humiliation from Vijayakumari in 2015, when he enrolled for MPhil. He told TNM that since then, Vijayakumari has made casteist remarks against him, persuaded him against pursuing a PhD, and even purified her office using water after he entered it.
He did not raise complaints earlier because he feared that antagonising someone like Vijayakumari, who holds a position of high authority, would further derail his academic future.
‘Sanskrit meant for Brahmins’
Vipin alleged that the harassment is not a recent occurrence. “In 2015, when I joined MPhil under Vijayakumar’s guidance, she used to tell me that Sanskrit is not meant for people like me (referring to lowered castes) and I am not deserving to speak a word in Sanskrit. She said it is only meant for Brahmins," he told TNM.
Sometimes, he was able to oppose her, but the humiliation allegedly continued.
“She used to say the dignity of the department had been destroyed after people like me started to get admission. During the research, she insulted me many times by saying that no matter how hard people from lowered caste try, Sanskrit will never suit us,” Vipin alleged.
He also alleged she never allowed him to enter her office. Even if he entered, she would perform a purification ritual using water, he said.
“I wanted to complete my MPhil, so I didn’t raise any complaints during that time. She refused to sign the MPhil thesis in the beginning, and then later, I got it,” he added.
He also alleged that Vijayakumari tried to prevent him from pursuing a PhD.
"In 2019, I applied for a PhD and attended the doctoral committee meeting. It was a six to seven -member panel, and Vijayakumari did not sign the minutes of the meeting and subsequently filed a complaint against me. I am unaware of the content of the complaint. Later, I joined the program after receiving a favourable order from the Vice Chancellor," he said.
Refusal to sign PhD thesis
Vipin joined the PhD program in 2020 and completed his thesis, titled ‘Sadgurusarvasam- A Study’, based on the life of Chattambi Swamikal, a pioneer in Kerala’s renaissance movement. It took Vipin five years of extensive research to complete his thesis.
On October 15, Vipin had his open defence, a public session where a PhD candidate presents and defends their thesis before an examining committee. The committee was chaired by Dr Anil Pratap Giri. Both the chairman and CA Shaila accepted the thesis, approving it for a PhD.
However, Vijayakumari allegedly interrupted the event, refusing to sign the approval.
“After the open defence, I met her and requested that she sign, but she refused. Then she asked why I need a doctorate to add to my name, insisting that my Pulaya surname is enough. Many individuals were present there, including my guide. I literally begged her to sign, but she refused,” Vipin said.
On November 13, a video clip of Vijayakumari interrupting the PhD open defence started circulating on social media.
After the defence, Vijayakumari sent a letter to the university, stating that during the open defence, procedures were not followed. She alleged that several questions regarding the thesis were raised both online and offline, but the researcher was unable to give accurate answers to them in Malayalam, Sanskrit, or English.
She further said that using the researcher’s phone, all the prominent persons who joined online to ask questions during the discussion were removed. “Their requests to re-enter the session were ignored and denied,” her letter reads.
Vipin holds BA and MA degrees in Sanskrit from Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, and BEd and MEd degrees from the University of Kerala. He currently works as a guest lecturer in Kumarapuram.
“I worked hard for five years on my research, and getting a PhD is my dream. That’s why I met her and begged for her signature. I waited till evening, but she did not budge. I met her the next day also, but she remained unaffected,” he said.
‘Ashamed to share what happened’
Vipin’s guide, retired professor CA Shaila, told TNM that she feels ashamed to share what happened on that day. “The conversation was extremely distressing. It is something that should never have happened. I can't even discuss it again,” said Shaila.
Responding to Vijayakumari's allegation that Vipin did not answer questions, Sheela explained that many individuals who attended the defence online were continuously bombarding him with questions, preventing him from responding.
“Anyone present at the session would understand this. They did not allow him to say anything. Many joined online and overwhelmed him with questions. He was not able to answer properly because they never gave him a chance to speak. At Kerala University, students can respond in Malayalam, but during this defence, they pressured him to speak in Sanskrit. He is not very fluent in Sanskrit, and students are used to answering in Malayalam,” she added.
Shaila also said that Vipin did his research well, which is why he reached the final stage of open defence. “He is my 15th research scholar, and 14 of my students have been awarded their PhDs. So, how can one student's performance be considered poor? I cannot agree with that,” she added.
She further noted that the chairman signed two reports related to the open defence and orally recommended Vipin's thesis for the PhD award. The only reason for the delay, she attested, is Vijayakumari's refusal to sign.
FIR filed
On November 5, Vipin officially filed a complaint with the police and the university.
Sreekaryam Police registered a case against Vijayakumari, and as per reports, she has been booked under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which deal with intentionally insulting or abusing a member of the SC/ST community by caste name in public view. She later approached the court and secured an anticipatory bail.
Later on November 7, Vipin filed a complaint with the SC/ST Commission alleging caste abuse. In the complaint, he explains why he did not file a complaint earlier. “Because Vijayakumari holds high authority and political influence within the university, I feared that displeasing her would destroy my dream to get a PhD,” his complaint reads.
The complaint urges appropriate action against Vijayakumari for causing immense mental distress to Vipin. He has also mentioned that Vijayakumari illegally requested the university not to award him a PhD due to the professional conflicts with his guide and prejudice towards his community.
Meanwhile, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu, on November 8, ordered the Principal Secretary of Higher Education to conduct an inquiry into the incident. The university Vice Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal has also ordered an inquiry.
‘Can't comment now’
When TNM reached out to Vijayakumari for a response, she refused to comment.
"As a dean, I expressed some of my views on an academic subject. Now that these matters are in court, I respect our Bharatiya Nyay Sanhitya and the judicial process. No one should comment on topics that are under the court's consideration, and I, too, cannot provide any remarks. I will adhere to the decisions made by the university and the court,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Student Federation of India, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), conducted a protest march to the university. The Left syndicate members raised the issue in the syndicate meeting held on November 12. The controversy escalated when one of the Bharatiya Janata Party syndicate members defended Vijayakumari by dismissing the allegations and saying that Dalits serve food in Vijayakumari’s home, implying that she is not casteist.