The gag on academic freedom

The gag on academic freedom

FPJ BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 01:20 AM IST
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The banning of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) by the IIT Madras, on the basis of an anonymous letter that it is seen to be spreading hatred against the Narendra Modi government and the Hindus, is a most atrocious act. The APSC, a students’ forum formed last year with the permission of the then Dean, was , according to its founding members, Ramesh and Abhivav

The banning of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) by the IIT Madras, on the basis of an anonymous letter that it is seen to be spreading hatred against the Narendra Modi government and the Hindus, is a most atrocious act. The APSC, a students’ forum formed last year with the permission of the then Dean, was , according to its founding members, Ramesh and Abhivav

Surya, meant to hold regular discussions and debates on contemporary issues such as economic policies, labour laws, communalism, land acquisition and ban on eating beef.  It has members from different castes and was equally critical of the previous UPA government’s policies. It invited a guest speaker Dr. Vivekanda Gopal of Kuppam University, AP, to give a talk on ‘Contemporary Relevance of Amedkar.’

 As a matter of policy, the anonymous letters are not taken cognizance of.  It is indeed strange that the HRD ministry entertained the anonymous complaint and forwarded it to the Director, IIT Madras, for action.  All the high functionaries of the HRD ministry got exercised over the anonymous complaint. Who made the complaint? In his letter dated May 15 to the Director IIT Madras, Prisca Mathew, under secretary in the ministry, says –”I am directed to forward herewith a copy of an anonymous letter alleging serious complaints received from students…and to request that comments of the institute may please be sent to this ministry at an early date.” And a week later, the Dean of the students M Srinivasan informed the APSC that it had been de-recognised. The Dean, in order to please the HRD ministry, banned the outfit without even hearing its points of view. It is bizarre.  How could an anonymous letter be considered representative opinion of the majority of the students? This is a gag on academic freedom.

 It is in the institutions of higher learning that students learn to develop independent thinking and the ability to critically evaluate the issues that affect the society and the state and contribute to informed public opinion.  One may or may not agree with their views. But they have every right to express their opinions. It is anti Democratic and unconstitutional to gag academic freedom. It violates the fundamental right to freedom guaranteed in the constitution.

 Jawaharlal Nehru, while addressing a special convocation of the University of Allahabad, December 13, 1947, said: “A University stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for progress, for the adventure of ideas and for the search for truth. It stands for the onward march of the human race towards even higher objectives.  If the universities discharge their duty adequately, then it is well with the nation and the people. But if the temple of learning itself becomes a home of narrow bigotry and petty objectives, how then will the nation prosper or a people grow in stature?” The policy makers and academic administrators must take a lesson from these noble thoughts.  The banning of the APSC is a sign of intolerance and stifling of the free flow of opinions and ideas in the temples of learning.

 The APSC has not violated any norms of the IIT. It only tried to have a rational discussion on the socio-economic policies of the NDA government which impact the common people, particularly the socially-economically deprived sections and the outcastes like the Dalits.  They have a strong view point against the oppression by the caste Hindus. Its guest speaker Dr. Gopal said – “Caste had become a political tool for the ruling class to impose its social oppression over Dalits.” He was only reiterating what Ambedkar had said. In his essay on ‘How to annihilate Caste,’ Ambedkar wrote: “Hindu Society as such does not exist. It is only a collection of castes. Each caste is conscious of its existence. Its survival is the be all and end all of its existence.” And he exhorted the oppressed people to ‘have courage to tell the Hindus, that what is wrong with  them is their religion – the religion which has produced in them the notion of the sacredness of caste.”

 The pamphlet circulated by the APSC was critical of the Modi government. After all, it is our fundamental right to criticize the government policies and programmes. That is the essence of an open democratic society. The Dean of the Students is reported to have told the APSC that “Brahmanical rituals and caste system should not be criticized as it hurts the sentiments of caste Hindus and that even scientific research, if it hurts the sentiments of a huge chunk of people, must not be pursued and published.”

 Any muzzling of dissent is not only an invitation to fascism, but also a serious threat to democracy and constitutional government. Earlier the IIT Delhi Director, R.K. Shevgaonkar, and the Chairman, Governing Council, IIT Mumbai, Anil Kakodkar, had to resign due to interference of the HRD ministry in their functioning and for undermining the autonomy of the Institutes.

G Ramachandram

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