The reciprocity of caste, class, and neo-colonial power capitals: Rewritten cultural identities in Shyam Lal Jedia's untold story of a Bhangi vice-chancellor

Enlacing the primordial frameworks of caste, class, and neo-colonial power structures, Shyam Lal Jedia's autobiography dives into the intersectionality of these elements to examine their role in constructing cultural identity in postcolonial India. The narrative transcends personal testimony to critique entrenched societal inequalities embedded within Indian institutions. Focusing on a Dalit’s rise from societal margins to academic prominence, this study explores how Jedia's journey destabilizes dominant ideologies contaminating India’s socio-educational landscape. It investigates the mimicry of colonial exclusion by postcolonial elites and frames Jedia’s ascension as both an individual and collective act of insurrection. This paper underscores Jedia’s narrative as a counter-narrative, challenging caste-based and neo-colonial historiographies and serving as a testament to rewriting cultural identities for marginalized communities.