Vindicated After Oxford University Investigation Results, Rashmi Samant Says "Truth Will Always Triumph"

Days after the investigation into the harassment complaint filed by Rashmi Samant at Oxford University concluded, the Indian student feels vindicated and hopeful of better times for fellow Hindu students studying in international universities.

Samant's lawyer, Adhitya Srinivasan, had taken to twitter four days ago to announce the positive end to the investigation that had been going on for a long time now and said "Oxford has finally concluded its investigation into the harassment complaint filed by Ms Rashmi Samant. I am delighted that a decision has been reached, and I am pleased with the outcome of the investigation".

Although precluded from sharing further details, both Samant and her lawyer expressed delight at the outcome. Reacting to the positive outcome after battling the negative and almost six month-long arduous journey of following up with the investigation, Samant's lawyer was all praise for her "her grit and perseverance throughout the process" that was "emotionally wrecking".

Samant's life has come a full circle in the last six months - from being the first Indian woman to become the President of the Oxford University in February this year to having been made the epicentre of a controversy that had her being name-called and tagged as being 'racist', 'transphobic' as well as 'Islamophobic' for coming from what a faculty member called "a bastion of Islamophobic far-right forces".

Samant had given up her post after being cyber-bullied and targeted. The faculty member who had called her Islamophobic said "“…Far-right Desi forces hate White people and Western modernity because they want to reinstate Sanatan Hindu “culture” with its inherent caste-based tortures and the most violent form of patriarchy. Of course, they are always ready to destroy statues of non-Hindutva people, be it Muslims or Christians or liberal Hindus,” in an online post.

An earlier interaction about the ordeal as she narrated it to Swarajya can be found here, where she admitted that she resigned 'to preserve the last bit of her sanity'.

In a recent post titled 'Rose that grew from a crack in the concrete' , Rashmi has summed up her entire six month long ordeal.

At the end of it all she says: "this victory means 'truth will always win', no matter how long it takes or how hard the path is".

Samant, who hails from Udupi in coastal Karnataka is thankful though that the community stood by her in this battle. "I thank my parents and the wider community, especially the people of Dakshina Kannada who rallied through and through," she says, adding that the investigation entails a 'rightful closure to the entire saga'.

She also chose to share a recent picture of her parents, whose picture from an old post on Facebook, with the Ram Mandir 'badge', was used by those who targeted her, to point out to her 'communal' background.

"We are very happy with what the letter says (though we cant share it) and what it means for our community" says Samant as she signs off, adding that this is also an assurance that 'this will not happen to another Hindu student'.