The Academic Dalits of Kashmir

Denied job security, fair pay, and recognition, they represent a growing class of exploited professionals. Their struggle reflects a structural injustice that must end.

- Dr. Ashraf Zainabi

Education and healthcare are supposed to be pathways to stability and hope in Jammu and Kashmir. Colleges and hospitals stand as symbols of progress in a region long marred by messy situation. But the reality is far grimmer.

Behind these institutions are thousands of teachers, doctors, and researchers working under temporary, insecure contracts. Their dedication keeps ‘the system running, while their precarity defines it.

The Supreme Court of India recently reminded the nation that teachers are the “intellectual backbone of the country,” and that paying them a pittance amounts to dishonoring that role.

It emphasized that contractual appointees cannot remain second-class citizens.

This judicial clarity echoes a deeper truth: India’s academic and healthcare systems depend on exploited, unprotected workers, whose suffering is the foundation of the very progress the country claims to pursue.

Dalits in India have historically been pushed to the margins, denied rights, opportunities, and dignity. Today’s academic and healthcare contractual workforce forms a parallel category.

I call them “Academic Dalits.”

They are highly qualified individuals, often PhD holders, teaching full courses, mentoring students, and treating patients. Their presence is indispensable, but their status remains unstable.

The contrast is striking. India boasts about world-class institutions, global rankings, and technology-driven solutions. Politicians speak of “knowledge economy” and “health for all.” Yet across Jammu and Kashmir, the story is of unpaid or delayed salaries, semester-to-semester appointments, and ever-changing designations.