(Samaj Weekly)
The tragic loss of Dr. Pamposh, interim, sends shock waves and calls for stronger actions By Chetna Association of Canada and the Ambedkarite International Coordination Society – Steering Committee for the Dr. Ambedkar International Symposium on Emancipation and Equality Day.
The steering committee for the April 2023 symposium on emancipation and Dr. Ambedkar Day of Equality is shocked by the tragic loss of Dr. Pamposh.
According to media reports, Dr Pamposh committed suicide because of cast oppression she faced while serving as an interim at the Guru Ram Dass Hospital in Amritsar. The steering committee urges the authorities to not only do the due diligence, but also, strengthen their capacity to educate against caste oppression.
The sad news comes at a time when outside of India, jurisdictions such as City of Seattle, Toronto District School Board, and many universities in the United States and Canada have discussed motions on caste oppression, and in some cases, added caste as a protected category to prevent cast oppression and discrimination.
To further facilitate the conversation on caste oppression, the steering committee has included a session on “Caste in academic settings in Canada and other jurisdictions.” The session will be on Saturday, April 22 at University of British Columbia.
For those who denounce measures such as the ones taken by City of Seattle and Toronto District School Board, need to take a closer look at the oppression that led to death of Dr. Pamposh, Ph.D candidate Rohith Vemula, and others at some of the universities in India.
The steering committee demands that the institutes who fail to take proactive measures to prevent caste oppression should be held accountable for not providing safe and inclusive environments.
