The concept of "futurity" holds profound significance in the lives of individuals, reflecting their aspirations of what lies ahead. When one thinks of the future, it is typical to imagine it as a space that is hopeful, and joyous. It also has the potential to heal wounds inflicted by the oppressors. Imagining a future is especially crucial for marginalized communities in order to navigate the pain, hurt, and violence in the past and present.
For example, writing about queer futurity, Muñoz (2009) states, "We must dream and enact new and better pleasures, other ways of being in the world, and ultimately new worlds." The constitutionally guaranteed rights such as the right to education, right to equality, right to freedom, etc can be seen as a promise of a better, sound, liveable future, a Begumpura — a utopia free from sorrow and suffering. However, as Sarah Ahmed notes, a utopia is not a perfect or idealized realm but rather a space where we work towards challenging systems of power to make life more bearable in the present.
In this context, engaging in the process of knowledge production emerges as one of the most powerful ways to envision and shape this alleged future. Knowledge production is a potent tool for empowerment and social transformation and transcends boundaries of space and time, offering marginalized communities the opportunity to reclaim their narratives, challenge dominant discourses, and assert their agency in shaping the course of history. Knowledge production extends beyond the mere accumulation of information; it is a dynamic process through which individuals and communities construct, interpret, and disseminate the paradigms about their lived experiences, histories, and aspirations. By actively participating in knowledge production, minoritised communities can articulate their experiences, thereby challenging hegemonic structures of power and creating alternative visions of the future.
University space is an avenue to contribute to knowledge production, gain upward mobility, and find a network/community of individuals coming from similar yet diverse backgrounds. Hence when conceiving a university space, the potential for future is palpable i.e., the possibilities to build a better future are immense in such spaces. By imagining and working towards alternative futures, Dalit students can assert their agency, reclaim their narratives, and challenge caste-based discrimination and violence. Thus, imagining a future becomes a tangible act of resistance and survival for a Dalit student.
However, the journey of Dalit students in higher educational institutions (HEIs) is fraught with systemic barriers, discrimination, and epistemic violence, which collectively hinder their ability to thrive and realize their aspirations within academic spaces. Moreover, the socio-political landscape for Dalits in academia has changed dramatically in recent years. The significant rise of Dalit consciousness in students after the death of Rohith Vemula, and stronger campus-based collectivization have set a precedent for young Dalit students to imagine a hopeful future.
When we speak of academic spaces, it's not just students. Students must have role models they can look up to, and aspire to become. But the default imagination or the "universal truth" is a Brahmin-Savarna professor imparting knowledge. At higher-tier IITs and the IISc, 98% of professors and more than 90% of assistant or associate professors are from privileged castes. The minuscule Dalit students who survive academia and become professors face systemic barriers, greater scrutiny and discrimination that hinder their ability to thrive in university spaces, thereby putting the aforementioned future at risk. Moreover, we find that the classrooms are juxtaposed as sites of epistemic violence that disorient Dalit students who are trying to map out their lives beyond everyday casteism. It is in this context that this essay asks, how does a Dalit student in higher educational institutions (HEI) imagine a future in this country? What does future mean to a Dalit student that is not about imagining a future that is out of reach but something that makes living bearable in the present by resisting oppression, and fostering collective solidarity and resilience?