Jason Arday's death raised pertinent questions about academic excellence and integrity, institutional practices pertaining to diversity and inclusion and criticism in general, write Irfanullah Farooqi and Suraj Gogoi from IIM Kozhikode.
Arday, sociologist of education, was only 37 when appointed in March 2023 as full professor in Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, youngest Black professor in university's history. However, very day he joined, Freedom of Information request inquiring into his credentials. Arday did not speak till he was 11, started reading and writing when 18 and battled range of disabilities. During Cambridge stint, subjected to unrelenting scrutiny. Charges of plagiarism, something that recently gained traction after accusations by Nathan Cofnas, self-described race realist. As campaign turned abusive, Arday resigned, stating it was not to be taken as acceptance of charges but something he had to do for well-being. Ten days later, found dead.
Public shaming urges us to think about parallels between race and caste. Criticism of Arday firmly rooted in excellence narrative. While many questioned scholarly credentials due to plagiarism charges, few dismissed him based on lack of excellence. He did not deserve, in their view, to be a Cambridge professor. Dalits at Indian universities - students and teachers - have struggled against this excellence narrative for decades, with much of their labour going into constantly proving merit.
Appeal of integrity narrative can hardly be overstated. Arday painted as fraud. Academics quick to dismiss integrity. However campaign against him was more about violator and less about violation. In case of Dalits too, slightest evidence of them cutting corners leads to them being crushed under integrity narrative. In societies where race and caste determine majority's standing, we ought to be mindful of unethical foundations of such concerns.
To question someone's academic credibility is one thing but to violate their dignity is anything but responsible criticism. When asked what blueprint is to become an academic, Arday remarked, "If you are Black or Asian, it is: How much can you suffer?" Black people and Dalits are forced to hold on to whatever dignity is left with them, enduring everyday racism and casteism. They know what routinely bypasses social gaze will be unforgivable in their case.
Dalits in Indian academia are always managing themselves, projecting certain image so as to keep criticism at bay. If they stray millimetre from socially sanctioned script, disgrace of a kind that exists solely for them befalls them. Arday too was subjected to criticism that led to specific kind of humiliation directed at him as Black person, not as academic.
In days before his death, fixation on Arday's life took ghoulish turn. Disproportionate focus justified as being in public interest. To be Black, to be Dalit, or any kind of minority, is costly thing in society. Even in educational institutions, many of marginalised continue to pay with their life.