Dear Sir, I think academics must refrain from expressing opinions
that are controversial and likely to create divisions and block
thinking. Academics must follow a strict code in the public
discourse. Firstly, we should support our statements with facts. We
must also add if the facts are generally in the public domain and
well known and cannot be disputed.
Newspapers are notorious for passing off numbers and opinions as it
suits their tastes that look like facts. It is always better to seek
contrarian views also and add conditions on the veracity of
information.In this way a balance can be wrought where the facts
presented speak louder than any exhortation.
I think that people,students and others should be allowed to draw
their own conclusions rather than force one's opinion on anyone.
If one were to follow these self defined rules to one's opinions then
we will be stronger in fighting for freedom of expression.
Best Regards,
K.Paranjpe
On Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:46:31 +0530 wrote
> Curbing academic freedomBJP's attack on St Xaviers Principal
betrays its insensitivity to dissent and lack of faith in autonomy of
institutions of higher learningTheopene-mail of principal of Mumbai's
prestigious St Xaviers College to his students, slamming Narendra
Modi's Gujarat model and praising Congress initiatives like Food
Security Bill has set the cat among pigeons, triggering a controversy
and a nationwide political debate. The provoked and outraged BJP,
which has approached theElection Commission, has invoked the question
of ethics in usingeducational institutionsfor churning political
debate. By doing so, the BJP has questioned the autonomy of
institutions of higher education and their right to intellectual
freedom. It is irrelevant if theeducational institutionsare partly or
fully funded by the government. They are places that are expected to
not just churn out good academicresultsbut also inspire critical
thinking rooted in the socio-economic and political ground realities
among students. In that light, the conduct of the principal is
justified and no amount of hair splitting over whether he was well
within his rights to air his views or whether it was proper for him
to use the college website to do so can de-legitimise the right
ofeducational institutionsof higher learning to bring political
debates on campuses in pursuance of making youth socially and
politically conscious. This is exactly what the Mumbai college
principal has done, not airing his partisan views, but offering a
rational and comparative critique of Gujarat's corporatized model and
the Congress' model of social welfare schemes. It does not amount to
influencing students; it only inspires them to think, view things
critically and take their decisions and in doing so the principal
needs to be congratulated for having done his job with a sense of
responsibility and fair play.The stung BJP's over-reaction to the
principal's e-mail is flawed for several reasons. First of all, it
smacks of hypocrisy. Campuses across the country are thriving homes
to students wings of all political parties, even with the added
disadvantage of criminalized goons joining ranks of such student
wings. The BJP is no exception; infact its own units of student wing
ABVP has been accused of using intimidation and violence to coerce
students and even threaten faculty members on a number of occasions.
The politics on the campuses of key institutions has often played a
palpable role inelectioncampaigning and politicians have used
campuses for their rallies and speeches. A year ago, when Narendra
Modi descended on Delhi University's Sri Ram College of Commerce to
sell his Gujarat model, did it not amount to bringing political
debate to the campus? Should the BJP memory be so short term as to
forget that to make Modi SRCC rally possible, not only did police had
to use water cannons and lathi-charge to push back students
democratically protesting against his visit but also the saffron
brigade's student wings had to go on an over-drive of bullying
tactics to seek revenge and silence the dissenters. So is the BJP
trying to say that bringing political wings and encouraging a culture
of political hooliganism in campuses is fine but inculcating healthy
debates about politics is unacceptable?
Second, the BJP's claim that the college principal's letter amounts
to influencing minds of students is not only preposterous but also
ridiculous. The principal has not asked his students to vote or not
vote for any particular party but simply dissected the Gujarat model,
explaining the pitfalls of reliance on corporate sector for economic
growth and talked about the significance of emphasis on social sector
in India, through which he praises some existing government schemes
in social sector. He ends up by asking students to think and take
their decisions. There is no element of coercion. Besides, such an
argument that 'an educational institution's head offering his
critique of socio-political issues amounts to influencing students'
is to undermine the intelligence of students and their capacity to
engage in a crucial debate. In a country where BJP is fighting
elections purely on excessive pumping of money to inflate its image
and that of its prime ministerial candidate through well oiled
propaganda machinery, advertisements, advertorials and paid news, it
makes a mockery of things to presume that provoking a rational debate
among adults of voting age is akin to influencing. Thirdly, the
communal colour that the BJP has been trying to give to the
principal's e-mail smacks of a xenophobic tendency and this must be
discarded immediately before it has its dangerous spill-over effect.
Fourthly, and more importantly,educational institutionscannot be
isolated from the politically surcharged atmosphere or from the
socio-economic ground realities of the country and the world.
Promoting a healthy culture of debating and discussing adds to the
health of these institutions which churn out not only pass outs ready
to pursue their respective careers but also leaders engaging in
political and social issues. It would do the right wing, which
believes less in looking back at the course of history and more in
re-writing it, to read the pages of history not very long ago and see
how variouseducational institutionsand the movements that sprung
within played a crucial role in the freedom struggle of the country,
also during the infamous period of Emergency that the BJP loves to
talk about to silence the Congress.
The BJP opposition to the letter and the entire furore over it stems
from its genetic DNA of intolerance. It is not about questioning the
methods employed by the Mumbai college's academic, much less about
challenging his views; it is indeed about opposing the very idea of
dissenting views and democratic thoughts, the ability and legitimacy
of anyone to offer a critique that does not augur well with its own
unprincipled ideology. Besides, it also challenges the very rationale
of thinking.What is your take on the subject?Educate, Empower,
ElevateProf. Bholanath DuttaFounder, Convener & PresidentEmail:
president@knowledgecafe.org president@mtcglobal.org
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