Former IITians storm Twitter, share how they were bullied in the name of caste

Former students of IITs share how they were looked down upon by their seniors for belonging to non-Brahmin caste.

Days after the death of Darshan Solanki, an 18-year-old engineering student of IIT Bombay, who allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building, former IITians have stormed Twitter with their experiences of caste discrimination at premier engineering institutes.  

A former student tweeted, “IITs are a nasty place. I did a few summer projects when I was in BSc and MSc. During MSc, I went to IIT Delhi for a summer project. It was the most horrible experience. The department had no events etc which meant I hardly knew anyone but whoever I got to know always saw me as a state university person who didn't deserve to be there. When I tried to discuss some problems I was facing with them I remember people smirking on my face. I was told by one of them proudly that when new students join, they ask them why did they take civil/mechanical/... etc branch and when they tell why it interests them the senior would say "Don't joke, that's all you could get due to your rank.” 

He went on to add, “I stuck to a couple of people who were doing internship with the same advisor but when we went for dinner with their friends once, their friends asked if I was from Bangalore. When I said yes, since they wouldn't know a different place in Karnataka anyway, one of those people told me "Dude, you are not from Bangalore. You are from some stupid small town.” 

Another alumnus wrote, “During my undergrad at IITD, I realised how deeply casteist IIT students are. Two of my Brahmin friends (both of them are full-blown fascists now) would even play a game of guessing people's castes based on their skin colour. I moved far away from them all. They were bullies and secretly also very insecure people. They made fun of me too, always blaming the mess in my hostel room on my upbringing as someone from an unclean non-Brahmin caste. For some reason, it never hurt me so much.” 

A former IITian while sharing his experience on Twitter, wrote, “I was a fresher at IIT Madras. We were cornered by a group of seniors. Seeing that I was not the one to fall in line one of them asked me my rank. I told my SC category rank to which he replied "Sala SC hone ke baad bhi itna attitude dikhata hai!" #IITBombay @AppscIITb #IIT.” 

#JusticeForDarshanSolanki: Family organises candle march tomorrow  

Meanwhile, Darshan’s father Rameshbhai Solanki has urged people to hold a candle march across different states tomorrow (February 19), demanding justice for Darshan. Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani has shared a video in which Darshan's father Rameshbhai is appealing students to participate in the candle-lit march to be held on February 19 between 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm.  

Solanki's family has claimed that he faced discrimination at the IIT Bombay for belonging to a Scheduled Caste community and suspected foul play in his death.   

Read more: 

• Cry for justice to IIT Bombay student grows louder, #JusticeForDarshanSolanki trends on Twitter
• Working actively to create inclusive environment on campus, says IIT Bombay Director 
• IITs face the heat as protest over student deaths grows