In her letter, Vanaja has urged the media to play the role of the "fourth pillar of democracy" and highlight the matter.
Hyderabad- Media is called the fourth pillar of democracy and at a time when the hope of justice from the executive and judiciary is lost, many people consider media as their last hope and appeal for help. Nimmakayala Vanaja, wife of Assistant Professor Dr. M. Venkatesh Nayak, who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining about caste discrimination in MNNIT Allahabad (Prayagraj), has also taken such a step.
She has written an open letter to media organizations and appealed to highlight her husband’s struggle that has been going on for 8 years. Dr. Nayak belongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and has alleged caste discrimination, ban on promotion and administrative harassment in the institute since 2017.
Dr Nayak had detailed the attempts at the institute to “deliberately ruin” her career. According to Vanaja, no action was taken despite “all evidence and documents” provided to all concerned authorities, including the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
In her emotional letter to the media, Vanaja lamented the neglect of teachers from the underprivileged community: “When honest, hardworking ST teachers are subjected to injustice, no one listens to their voice. Despite repeated attempts by my husband to approach the media, no one came forward to highlight their struggle. If honest, dedicated and hardworking teachers like him are not given a platform to express the injustice they are facing, how can they expect justice?”
She referred to earlier cases such as that of Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla of IIT Kanpur and Dr Vipin Veetil of IIT Madras, where reports of caste discrimination made national headlines.
In the letter, she wrote, “This is not the first time such discrimination has taken place in premier institutes. We have seen similar cases before – Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla at IIT Kanpur, Dr Vipin Veetil at IIT Madras and many others whose painful experiences made headlines. Today my husband is facing a similar situation. Despite giving his best in education and research, he is harassed only because of his caste identity.”
Institutional neglect a trend?
Dr Nayak says her promotion to the post of associate professor in 2025 was deliberately withheld. Complaints to MNNIT’s SC/ST cell and the education ministry were met with no action. Allegations of “misrepresentation” were levelled by her lawyer in the Allahabad High Court.
Vanaja, in her letter, has urged the media to play the role of the “fourth pillar of democracy” and highlight the matter. “After every avenue is closed, we have come to you,” she wrote, seeking media coverage to pressurise the authorities.
Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News