When Professor Sumit Sarkar began a lecture at Delhi University, the room would be packed and, one former student recalls, there would be “pin drop silence”. He spoke softly, calmly and without theatricality, but students were so absorbed that they would lose track of time.“He was very musical in his lectures while dealing with academic subjects,” recalls Professor Vikas Gupta, a Delhi University historian who was taught by Sarkar in the early 2000s.Sarkar, one of the foremost historians of modern India, died on Thursday at 87 after being unwell for years. He taught at Delhi University from 1974 to 2004 and influenced generations of students.Born in 1939, Sarkar grew up in a family steeped in history. His father, Sushobhan Chandra Sarkar, was a renowned historian. An alumnus of Presidency College, Sarkar earned his master’s and PhD from the University of Calcutta, where he later taught. He also taught at the University of Burdwan and Oxford.His name is closely linked with the historiography of the Swadeshi movement in Bengal. His book The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal is regarded as a foundational work. Beyond that, Writing Social History and Modern India are especially admired by students and enthusiasts of history. But former students say reducing Sarkar to a Marxist historian would miss a quality of his intellectual life: his refusal to remain confined to a single historiographical framework.“He was not somebody who anybody can really put into any confines,” said Naresh Kumar, associate professor of history at Delhi University’s Kamala Nehru College, who was taught by Sarkar in the late 1990s.Sarkar remained committed to Marxism but transformed it through his own questions. One idea closely associated with him was “pressure from below”, an approach that examined the freedom struggle through the actions and demands of ordinary people, including women, tribals, Dalits and workers.Story continues below this adFor Kumar, Sarkar was a rare combination of scholar and teacher. “I didn’t write even a single word in his class,” he said, comparing Sarkar’s lectures to an “alaap” in a raga.(With inputs from Atri Mitra in Kolkata)Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More