On Saturday (August 5), Hindu activist and former Oxford University Student Union President, Rashmi Samant, took to Twitter to announce the launch of her new book ‘A Hindu in Oxford,’ only to be attacked by a vicious ecosystem of leftists, Islamists, Congress and Pakistanis.
In a tweet, she narrated how her election as the first Indian female President of Oxford SU turned into a ‘distressing nightmare of bullying, harassment, & threats’. “It was declared that “Oxford students are not ready for a Hindu President”, compelling me to step down from my rightfully elected position,” she added.
Rashmi Samant informed that she was recently intimidated by the Karnataka police after speaking out against the Udupi washroom case, wherein Hindu women were secretly recorded by their Muslim classmates.
What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) August 5, 2023
At 22 years of age, as the first Indian Female President of the Oxford University Students Union, my historic election victory rapidly transformed into a distressing nightmare of bullying, harassment, & threats. It was declared that… pic.twitter.com/yWcoUYM9C4
“Over time, I’ve come to realize that this is part of a universal playbook used for centuries to gaslight historically oppressed communities and perpetuate institutional discrimination, with Hindus being among the timeless victims. Be it in the UK, Udupi, or any corner of the world,” she said.
Rashmi Samant emphasised, “Over time, I’ve come to realize that this is part of a universal playbook used for centuries to gaslight historically oppressed communities and perpetuate institutional discrimination, with Hindus being among the timeless victims. Be it in the UK, Udupi, or any corner of the world.”
The former Oxford SU President announced that all proceeds of the book would be used to help Hindus fight the unfair societal consequences, starting with the young girls of #Udupi.
Rashmi Samant and her harassment at Oxford University in 2021
Rashmi Samant was hounded by leftists and anti-Hindu propagandists after becoming the first female Indian elect of Oxford University Student’s Union on February 11, 2021. She was forced to resign within days after being abused, bullied and targeted over her views against British colonisation.
In a coordinated attack, her old social media posts were dredged up, accusing her of being racist, anti-semitic, Islamophobic, and transphobic. Besides this, Rashmi was also targeted for being a Hindu.
One of the faculty members in Oxford – Dr Abhijit Sarkar had even dragged Rashmi’s parents into the controversy, attacking them for having a Lord Shri Ram display picture on their social media accounts while claiming that Rashmi’s student council elections were funded by Prime Minister Modi.
Because she studied in Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka which carries a photo of PM Modi this vile Professor is targeting the young student Rashmi Samant. Please note @TVMohandasPai #JusticeForRashmiSamant pic.twitter.com/6qtuSUUArf
— Sahana Singh (@singhsahana) March 3, 2021
He had even accused Rashmi of being Islamophobic by alleging that she came from coastal Karnataka, which the faculty member termed as “a bastion of Islamophobic far-right forces”.
Following the controversy, netizens from across the world demanded the dismissal of Hinduphobic faculty AbhijitSarkar and trended the hashtag ‘#DismissAbhijitSarkar’ on Twitter. The Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also raised the matter in the Upper House of Parliament.
Joint Statement by the Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society & Oxford South Asian Society to Address the Recent Coverage of the Ex-SU President-Elect
— Oxford India Society (@oxfordind) March 21, 2021
Link: https://t.co/NHRZpjedUA pic.twitter.com/g4aCerh6n4
In March 2021, the Oxford Hindu Society, Oxford South Asian and the Oxford India Society attacked Rashmi Samant and insinuated that her resignation was not motivated by racism or Hinduphobia.
In July 2021, an internal investigation conducted by Oxford University vindicated her and confirmed that Samant was indeed a victim of bullying and vilification.
The trolling and Hinduphobia after book launch
Two days after Rashmi Samant announced her book launch, propagandists targeted the ex-Oxford SU President and attempted to discredit the Hinduphobic treatment meted out to her on Monday (August 7).
Anvee Bhutani, who works for the BBC and has been accused by Hindu activists of being politically biased, claimed, “When Rashmi resigned, I ran, was elected, and served a successful term as an Indian Hindu President of Oxford University Students Union.”
She further alleged, “Racism exists in Oxford, but Rashmi was not bullied because of her race, religion, or nationality. This novel propagates a false narrative.”
When Rashmi resigned, I ran, was elected, and served a successful term as an Indian Hindu President of Oxford University Students Union.
— Anvee Bhutani (@AnveeBhutani) August 7, 2023
Racism exists in Oxford, but Rashmi was not bullied because of her race, religion, or nationality. This novel propagates a false narrative. https://t.co/V8YqG3nGWH
It is pertinent to note that Anvee Bhutani has a declared bias against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She has in the past targeted Rashmi Samant while calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “fascist”.
Ex-SU president elect defends the imprisonment of protesting farmers by a fascist government, calling it democracy. This is alongside taking no responsibility nor exuding any remorse for her actions, and rather, being fixated on her self-proclaimed good intent. https://t.co/Rq2fNKfUUi
— Anvee Bhutani (@AnveeBhutani) February 28, 2021
She had also extended support to the violent farmers’ protest and asked for UK political parties to meddle in India’s internal affairs.
Okay cool, now do more for the farmers protest in India.
— Anvee Bhutani (@AnveeBhutani) April 13, 2021
You wrote a response to @sikhs4labour’s letter on 4th February claiming “Labour, through our shadow foreign office team, will continue to pressure government to speak out.”
You’ve done nothing since then. https://t.co/8vWYn77d73
Karnataka Congress leader, Aishwarya Mahadev, brazened it out, “I really hope your fake goddamn victimhood gets you somewhere! Somewhere far far away from here! Oxford didn’t think they needed you, we don’t either. Yuck!”
I really hope your fake goddamn victimhood gets you somewhere! Somewhere far far away from here!
— Aiyshwarya Mahadev | ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯ ಮಂಚನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಮಹದೇವ (@AiyshwaryaM) August 6, 2023
Oxford didn’t think they needed you, we don’t either. Yuck! https://t.co/QJBg2r1G3i
Arif Ayyub, who has a history of peddling anti-India propaganda, tweeted, “The lies in her post have been fact-checked by Twitter. It all adds up. Her propagandist outrage over a video prank, later playing victim and now promoting a deceitful book. @RashmiDVS is a symptom of a diseased majoritarian society that profits from lies, deceit and propaganda.”
The lies in her post have been fact checked by Twitter. It all adds up. Her propagandist outrage over a video prank, later playing victim and now promoting a deceitful book. @RashmiDVS is a symptom of a diseased majoritarian society that profits from lies, deceit and propaganda. https://t.co/CvZurRyJGt
— Arif Ayyub (@arifayyub) August 7, 2023
Caste baiters also targeted Rashmi Samanat in an attempt to bash the Brahmin community. “It’s hilarious how Brahmins, who have been oppressors in this country for centuries, are desperately trying to merge their identity (conveniently & only on occasions) into a larger made-up Hindu identity and presenting themselves as members of “historically oppressed communities,” claimed Revolutionary Memes for Bahujan Teens.
It's hilarious how Brahmins, who have been oppressors in this country for centuries, are desperately trying to merge their identity (conveniently & only on occasions) into a larger made-up Hindu identity and presenting themselves as members of "historically oppressed communities" https://t.co/0cGiOP5hoG
— Revolutionary Memes For Bahujan Teens (@RMBT_tweets) August 6, 2023
Pakistani handles also joined the discussion and used the opportunity to berate both Indians and the Hindu community. One Fatima Tassadiq went on a deranged rant and claimed that the book ‘A Hindu in Oxford’ is an example of upper caste, right-wing majoritarian politics.
An excellent example of how a) vocab of decolonisation/ indigeneity/social justice is used in service of right wing majoritarian politics in postcolonial states & b) UC/upper class desis unproblematically appropriate POC/migrant subject position in elite academic spaces abroad. https://t.co/DIpaPe7TEq
— Fatima Tassadiq (@fatimatassadiq) August 6, 2023
“Great book for tips on how powerholding hate spreading Hindu Indians play victim to ‘ racism’ while further perpetuating hate against other communities elsewhere and in their homeland. What a journey of ‘oppression’. Nominate for best fiction book already,” tweeted another Pakistani user.
Great book for tips on how powerholding hate spreading Hindu Indians play victim to ‘ racism’ while further perpetuating hate against other communities elsewhere and in their homeland. What a journey of ‘oppression’. Nominate for best fiction book already https://t.co/25AvvN5fJB
— Sophia Zehra Abbas (@abbas_sophia) August 7, 2023
Soon after, the anti-Hindu propagandists vandalised the ‘Community Notes’ section of Rashmi Samant’s tweet to falsely allege that the harassment of the ex-Oxford SU was not a manifestation of her Indian and Hindu identity.
Response by Rashmi Samant
While reacting to the trolling and attempts to discredit Hinduphobia at Oxford, Rashmi Samant tweeted, “Context is written by people who use X and know how to weaponise systems in the war of setting narratives that whitewash real crimes. If it’s reported enough as unhelpful, it gets taken down.”
She pointed out that the Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society and Oxford South Asian Societies are student clubs that were run by Hinduphobes such as Abhijit Sarkar.
“Unfortunately, they get the full attention of mainstream media and systems just like some of milords favourite children we know in India. PS : two of these above societies were not even registered with the University in 2021 when the statement was made (even I can claim to be Oxford Anything club and put out a statement),” she added.
Context is written by people who use X and know how to weaponise systems in the war of setting narratives that whitewash real crimes. If its reported enough as unhelpful, it gets taken down.
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) August 8, 2023
The Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society and Oxford South Asian Societies are… https://t.co/Bw0l6uLdQc
Rashmi Samant said, “No amount of bullying in the past could stop me from speaking out against the bullies and faculty who openly challenged my practising Hindu” identity. They can’t now.”
“Peak cancel culture is how everyone in the ecosystem of novel narratives and diabolical accusations has written off the book without even the amount of references, proof and correspondences shared in the book sure goes beyond calling them out,” she concluded.
