15.09.2026
Cancellation of the Admission of Comrade Dheeran (alias Naveen),
State Coordination Committee Member of RSYF, at the University of Madras
We Condemn the Casteist Retaliation of Registrar Professor Rita John!
Statement of Condemnation
Dear Comrades and Democratic Forces,
The Revolutionary Students – Youth Front (RSYF) strongly condemns the anti-democratic and vindictive action taken by the University of Madras administration against Comrade Dheeran (alias Naveen), a member of the State Coordination Committee of the Revolutionary Students – Youth Front (RSYF), who comes from a rural working-class background and is a first-generation graduate.
Comrade Dheeran successfully completed his M.A. Public Administration (Tamil Medium) degree at the University of Madras’ “Anna Centre for Public Affairs” during the 2024–2026 academic year.
Subsequently, for the current academic year (2026–2028), he obtained admission to the M.A. Indian Philosophy programme after paying all the required tuition fees, and has been attending classes for the past two months. Since travelling daily to the university from his rural home was extremely difficult, he approached the hostel administration seeking accommodation at the student hostel located on the University of Madras’ Taramani campus.
The hostel warden, Professor Shankar, rejected his request, stating that hostel accommodation could not be provided to students pursuing postgraduate degree for the second time. Following this, on 07.09.2026, Comrade Dheeran formally sent a letter requesting hostel accommodation to the Registrar of the University of Madras, Professor Rita John, through the “Registrar’s Tapal Section.”
Without providing any response to the student’s hostel request, the University Registrar sent a letter by post to his residential address the very next day, on 08.09.2026, informing him that his admission to the Department of Philosophy had been cancelled.
In the letter sent by the Registrar, it was stated that the student had “seriously violated the students’ conduct rules” during the 2024–2026 academic year and that, in accordance with court judgments, the university had the authority to reject a student’s admission by taking into consideration the student’s past conduct in order to protect the discipline and peace of the educational institution.
During the previous academic year, the university administration did not initiate any disciplinary action or formal inquiry committee proceedings against Comrade Dheeran. His continued struggle against the irregularities within the university, for students’ rights, and against caste atrocities is the real reason for the cancellation of his admission.
Comrade Dheeran has led various struggles on behalf of the Revolutionary Students – Youth Front, keeping students’ welfare at the forefront.
He led several protests demanding toilet facilities, protected drinking-water facilities, security for the campus (compound wall), and classroom facilities within the university campus.
Furthermore, he filed a case before the Madras High Court and undertook a continuing legal struggle demanding that the construction of the “Thozhi Hostel” at the University of Madras’ Ramanujan Campus be stopped and that a hostel for women students of the University of Madras be constructed.
He also mobilised students and organised anti-caste rallies under the campaign conducted on behalf of the Revolutionary Students – Youth Front with the slogan: Love All! No Caste!
SC/ST Students’ Rights:
In order to establish and uphold the rights of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, he pressured the administration to conduct SC/ST student grievance meetings regularly and played a leading role in ensuring that such meetings were conducted.
Registrar Professor Rita John, who has an anti-student and anti-democratic mindset, could not tolerate these activities in the slightest.
Furthermore, the reason for Registrar Professor Rita John’s hostile attitude towards Comrade Dheeran, who belongs to the Dalit community, is her casteist mindset. Serious complaints are already pending before the National Commision for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against Professor Rita John, alleging that she has subjected professors belonging to Scheduled Caste communities to caste-based harassment.
Professors including Dr. R. Radhakrishnan (Assistant Professor, Department of Theoretical Physics), Dr. R. Mohan Raj (Associate Professor, RKM Vivekananda College, Mylapore), and Dr. K. Pugazhenthi (Professor, Department of Zoology) have submitted complaints alleging that they were subjected to caste-based discrimination and harassment at the instigation of Registrar Rita John.
Furthermore, Dr. R. Mohan Raj has filed a complaint alleging that, despite fulfilling the qualifications prescribed under the UGC Regulations, 2018, his candidature was not considered, while Rita John was appointed as Registrar in violation of the rules. Cases relating to these matters are pending before the NCSC.
On January 30, Comrade Dheeran, as a student organiser, led the Pongal festival held at the university. At the request of the students, Comrade Thol. Thirumavalavan, leader of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), was invited as the special guest.
At that time, Registrar Rita John questioned him in a casteist manner, saying:
“Who gave you permission to invite someone like him? How can you invite him without asking me?”
In response, Dheeran firmly stated:
“This is a festival organised collectively by the students, and he has been invited according to the wishes of the students.”
Already, the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department had issued an anti-student circular stating that “students should not join left-wing organisations and engage in protests in colleges and universities.” Following strong opposition from academics and democratic forces, the circular was subsequently withdrawn.
That circular was part of the anti-student and fascist agenda of the RSS–BJP.
Now, by retaining a Registrar with a dominant-caste supremacist mindset, there is an attempt to indirectly implement the substance of the same anti-student circular at the University of Madras.
This action, which seeks to bring to Tamilnadu the kind of repression taking place in states governed by the fascist BJP, is strongly condemnable.
Following in the footsteps of Umar Khalid and Rohith Vemula, Comrade Dheeran has now been victimised and targeted by casteist forces and fascist organisations.
If a student’s educational opportunity is denied for fighting for the basic needs of students, questioning the irregularities within the university, and raising his voice against caste oppression, it is not merely an action against that particular student — it is an attack on the democratic rights of the entire student community.
Therefore, the Revolutionary Students – Youth Front demands that the University of Madras administration immediately withdraw its action and restore and confirm the admission of Comrade Dheeran (alias Naveen) to the M.A. Indian Philosophy programme.
Demands
- The university administration must immediately restore and confirm the M.A. Indian Philosophy admission of Comrade Dheeran (alias Naveen), a first-generation graduate from an oppressed community.
- The hostel request denied to Comrade Dheeran must be reconsidered, and hostel accommodation must be provided after taking into account his socio-economic background and the difficulties he faces in travelling to the university every day.
- Appropriate legal action must be taken against Registrar Professor Rita John for practising caste discrimination and untouchability within the university campus.
- Regular and continuous grievance-redressal meetings for SC/ST students must be conducted at the University of Madras.
- Complaints concerning caste-based discrimination and harassment against SC/ST students and teachers must be investigated through an independent and transparent process.
- The right of student organisations, student representatives, and democratic forces to question the university administration and to conduct peaceful democratic protests must be guaranteed.
State Co-ordination Committee,
Revolutionary Students – Youth Front,
Tamil Nadu – Puducherry.
9444836642
Follow us on social media:
WhatsApp, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, Instagram, Threads
