Ambedkarite thinkers are hailing Komal's victory as a triumph of marginalized women worldwide and a triumph of indomitable courage against Brahminical patriarchy.
New Delhi – Komal Devi of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) has won a landslide victory for the post of councilor from the School of Social Sciences (SSS) in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections 2025. This victory marks a milestone for the Bahujan community, marking the return of BAPSA to the SSS after an 11-year struggle. Komal Devi’s election slogan, “My feminism begins in the fields, barns, and settlements…,” ignited a fire in the hearts of Dalit-Bahujan students, and her victory filled the campus with celebrations.
Dalit student Komal Devi, a postgraduate student at SSS, embraced Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s principle of “Educate! Agitate! Organize!” in her campaign. This passionate statement in a video message—”My feminism begins from the fields, barns, and ghettos…”—brought the voice of women from rural India to the corridors of JNU. Her outspoken opposition to “Hindutva fascism” and “upper caste leftist hypocrisy” sparked a wave of enthusiasm among Bahujan students. Following the announcement of the election results, #KomalDevi and #BAPSAVictory began trending on social media, with Bahujan activists hailing her victory with chants of “Jai Bhim” and “Hul Johar.”
The Bahujan Community’s Excitement: A Comeback After 11 Years
The School of Social Sciences (SSS) is JNU’s largest school, with over 2,000 students, and Komal’s victory signals the restoration of Bahujan representation. The organization’s official statement said, “This victory is a step towards reclaiming our spaces, our voices, and our dignity. We reject absorption, we reject tokenism—this is the politics of self-respect and autonomy.” The Bahujan community is celebrating this victory like a festival, with hundreds of posts on Twitter (formerly Twitter) hailing it as a “Bahujan awakening.” Allied groups like the Neelam Cultural Center have offered their congratulations.
Political analyst and assistant professor at Jadavpur University, Subhajit Naskar, celebrated her victory in a social media post, writing: “Komal, a Dalit girl from the extremely marginalized Valmiki community of Haryana, has become a councilor at the School of Social Sciences. Her victory is a victory for marginalized women worldwide and a testament to the indomitable courage of those facing Brahminical patriarchy.”
BAPSA won a total of one seat in this election, from the SSS councilor. The Left Unity (SFI, AISA, AISF) made a clean sweep in the central panel, including the posts of president, vice-president, general secretary, and joint secretary. The ABVP did not win any seats, a setback after last year’s single victory. BAPSA contested the elections independently, and Komal’s victory reinforced the organization’s legacy of Ambedkar, Phule, and Birsa Munda.
Komal Devi’s campaign emphasized caste-based discrimination, gender equality, and equitable distribution of resources. Outperforming her rival, Rahul Motghare, she conveyed a message of Bahujan unity. As a councilor, she will strengthen the Bahujan perspective in council debates. Media reports have called her victory the “end of an 11-year drought.”
Amidst the post-election excitement on the JNU campus, Komal’s win opens the possibility of new alliances for progressive reforms. BAPSA celebrated in its post, saying, “We have our own tunes and rhythms that celebrate our struggles and victories.”
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News