A Hindu in Oxford | Rashmi Samant

About the Book

In March 2020, a young girl living in Udupi on the western coast of India is thrilled that she’s achieved a dream – she receives a mail of acceptance from the much-coveted University of Oxford for Master of Science in Energy Systems.

Stars in her eyes, she travels to Oxford, in the uncertain time of COVID-19, and begins her course, well-prepared for the academic rigour and the campus challenges. Standing for the position of the President of the Oxford University Students Union, she wins a thumping mandate on her platform of decolonisation and inclusivity. Before the euphoria of being the ‘first Hindu President of the Oxford Students’ Union can die down, her life is turned topsy turvy by accusations of racism, anti-Semitism and transphobia. She becomes the target of ceaseless hate mail and death threats. A History faculty declares that “Oxford Students are not ready for a Hindu President”.

How does the girl brave the course against these odds?

Read the story of Rashmi Samant in Oxford, in her own words. Gripping and well-narrated, this story is a must-read for everyone, to understand first-hand what real decolonization and discrimination is all about.