Youth forced to forfeit Heathrow job offer, Prakash Ambedkar demands action

Prakash Ambedkar, writer and former Member of the Lok Sabha, took to X to highlight the case of Prem Birhade, a young Dalit graduate who was allegedly forced to forfeit a hard-earned job opportunity at Heathrow Airport after his college in Pune refused to verify his academic credentials.

Prem, who completed his post-graduation from the University of Sussex in the UK, had applied for employment at Heathrow Airport. However, despite submitting all required documents, his alma mater  Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Pune reportedly declined to provide verification.

Ambedkar alleged that the denial stemmed from caste discrimination, claiming that the college’s principal, Dr Nivedita Gajanan Ekbote, who also serves as the Maharashtra Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), acted with bias.

Prem’s credentials had been verified earlier when he had applied for his UK studies, but when he sought the same verification for employment, the administration allegedly questioned his caste.

Ambedkar said the incident reflects the deep-rooted caste discrimination that continues to obstruct Dalit youth despite their academic and professional achievements.

He has demanded accountability and immediate intervention, calling the case a “glaring example of systemic caste bias that crushes Dalit aspirations.”