India, Aug. 11 -- The representation of Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi scholars in India's premier academic institutions and mainstream social science discourse remains limited, with these spaces often dominated by savarna caste scholars. Among the few who broke through these barriers, was professor Nandu Ram, whose passing at the age of 78 marks the loss of a pioneering sociologist; his work reshaped Indian sociology by centering caste, Dalit experiences, and Ambedkarite thought.

Even after Independence, the majority of Dalits lived under dire social and economic conditions, with a life in academics seeming almost inconceivable to many. However, a few were undoubtedly inspired by the extraordinary legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar, and thus asp...