VISHWA GURU'S SLEUTHS !

 Subhash Gatade

Image Courtesy- www.outlookindia.com

 Writers, scholars, artists have always worried the powers that be.

There was a time when the Parisian police had been given the onerous task of keeping the greatest writers of late 18 th Century who were living in Paris at that time under their watch. Poor fellows, one can imagine their difficulty in maintaining files on writers and artists and scholars 'beyond criminals and political figures.' (The Statesman and The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 26 th September 2006)

The present dispensation at the centre is no different.

It could be said that it may be a step ahead.

The French Monarchs - who within few decades witnessed a mass upheaval which finally overthrew them - were wise enough to ask their minions to be rather discreet in their activities, not to offend the writers, scholars directly ; the harbingers of today's 'New India' have even abandoned that discreetness for good.

Close on the heels of a Parliamentary Committee's recommendations to prevent an 'award wapsi' embarrassment in future, which has asked potential award winners sign an undertaking that they would not return their awards at any stage, has come the news that a team of Intelligence Bureau Officials suddenly landing at a leading private university in full public glare when the Institution itself is in the eye of a storm because of  a research paper written by one of its (former) Professors from the Economics Department which focussed itself on the 2019 elections to the Parliament.

 Apropos they were keen to meet former Prof Sabyasachi Das, who worked for the Economics Department and to probe his research paper 'Democratic Backsliding in the World's Largest Democracy' Paper'  whose tentative conclusions about the 2019 elections had unsettled the ruling dispensation which pointed towards 'possibility of electoral ‘manipulation’ in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections' . As they were unable to meet him as he was out of station, they even wanted his colleagues from his department to interact with them but when these sleuths formally refused to give their queries in writing to the department people they firmly refused to meet them.

One learns that they have informed they will come back soon.

This unprecedented episode in the academic history of the country has raised lot of concerns but before moving further it is necessary to share few more details.

The publication of this research paper generated lot of heat on social media and its tentative findings were attacked by BJP leaders. Instead of defending the scholar’s right to research the management of this 'liberal institution' distanced itself from its findings. It created such a situation that the Professor Sabyasachi Das resigned from the post, causing tremendous unease in the academia within the University as well as elsewhere. 

Contrary to what has happened in many earlier cases, when rest of the academia has wore silence or decided to look the other way, this episode prompted an entirely different reaction.

Prof Pulapre Balakrishnan, another senior Professor from the same department  who has served at various international Universities like Oxford and has even worked as Consultant to  the ILO, RBI and UNDP, and has many published books to his credit  resigned from his post in solidarity with Prof Das

This solidarity action was followed by a growing call to ensure academic freedom.

A statement was issued by around 400 leading economists from India and abroad expressing their solidarity with Prof Das and even many departments within this Private University passed resolutions about 'academic freedom' and asked the management to support ensure it at any level.

The university was asked to reinstate Prof Das as well as Prof Pulapre Balakrishnan with immediate effect. In fact, the University's Student Parliament also seconded this demanded and according to unconfirmed sources the management of the University was seriously contemplating to take back the two resignations.

The unannounced visit by the IB people is an ominous development - perhaps unheard of in academic world.

Could one say that it was a signal to the private university - which is seriously considering the formal reinstatement of the author Prof Sabyasachi Das and also Professor Pulapre Balakrishnan because of unprecedented turmoil within the academic community within and outside to 'save academic freedom' that such a step would be inimical to its own interests in future ?

Could one say that it was also a reminder to the University establishment that the Private University's FCRA licence has to be renewed soon and perhaps it does not take any step which will impact this decision? As an aside it need be told here that merely few months back CPR - a leading think tank in Delhi - which has been engaged in research with a focus on India’s 21st-century challenges since 1973 found its FCRA licence suspended  for ‘allegedly violating the provisions of the law'' compelling it to shed a significant part of its academic and other teams. Whatever might be the formal reasons offered to withdraw the FCRA licence to this institution, one knows that some of its research and its conclusions - which centred on industrial houses in good books of the government had not gone well with the government.

Next few days are important to watch.

Whether the 'liberal Institution' sticks to its resolve or not will be important to watch.   .

Whatever happens one cannot but notice a silver lining of sorts in these developments.

 Since last more than nine years the present dispensation has made tremendous attempts to change the character of education and educational institutions.

Not satisfied with the radical changes it has undertaken in revising academic courses, or installing its people in key positions, or introducing an educational policy without any proper consultation or not satisfied with putting (used) battle tanks in University campuses to instil a feeling of patriotism etc., or sending its cheerleaders to campuses to discipline still dissenting voices, educational campuses are still vibrating.

The idea of resistance to evil or whatever is wrong around you has not died down.

Students, teachers and other intellectuals who still believe in values and principles of Constitution are making it happen.

This definitely is a good sign.

Destroying A Legacy to Save it ?

 

 Subhash Gatade

Courtesy - Rediff.com

It was perhaps mid sixties or  early seventies when US had resorted to continuous bombing to break the morale of the Vietnamese people.

When questioned by a reporter about this bombing in civilian areas a American General is reported to have said that we are destroying the village to save it.

It is a different matter that within few years of this bloody operations to ‘save the village” US had to face an ignominious exit from the small country

Time and again this episode from Vietnam’s history seem to achieve a contemporary relevance in different contexts.

II

The Sarva Seva Sangh campus, which stood  for more than six decades, near Rajghat Varanasi is now part of history.

An institution which was founded by leading Gandhians like Vinoba Bhave and Jaiprakash Narayan, – for the spread of Gandhian ideas – who themselves stayed in the precincts at times, has its campus – comprising of buildings, offices and residential quarters  ( which were abode to Narayanbhai Desai and several others once ) in Varanasi has recently been turned into rubbles.

The way the whole operation unfolded defied the expectation of every peace and justice loving person.

Disregarding the fact that the whole matter was subjudice , despite the fact the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in his personal capacity had expressed displeasure over the hurried manner in which a reputed Gandhian legacy was being given a raw deal and despite the fact that a peaceful movement was going on comprising of Gandhians as well as other members of the civil society, the operation was executed

First the campus was evacuated of ( as per terminology of the administration) ‘ encroachers’) , a scene which was witnessed by the whole world when thousands of books of Gandhian literature were found to be scattered around the statue of Gandhi in the campus and within two – three weeks of this evacuation, bulldozers were sent to demolish the buildings and other structures.

No doubt the whole operation has sent shivers down the spine of all those individuals and formations who are engaged in raising people’s voices at various levels and there are worries that their peaceful work may get hampered in very many ways in near future .

In fact as one writes these lines, Mehul Devkala has written in ‘The Telegraph’ about this project of ‘taking over Gandhian institutions’ and how in Gujarat Vidyapeeth in  Ahmedabad, girl students were prevented from reciting the Sarva Dharm Prarthana – a syncretic prayer- which was practised since Gandhi himself established the institution decades ago.

As of now when the Sarva Seva Sangh campus in Varanasi is merely part of history, it is easy to think of an imaginary conversation between people who executed its demolition  and a reporter about this whole operation and an interesting rationale being provided by the powers that be that it was an attempt to ‘save the Gandhian legacy.’

Period.

III

Not many days before the demolition of the Sarva Seva Sangh campus, the area adjoining the national capital witnessed physical demolition of houses of a different kind.

Here the targets were religious minorities namely the Muslims. Demolition was executed without any prior notice, without any written orders by the administration and of course without any legal basis

The bulldozers sent there by the local functionaries of the Haryana government went on demolishing shops and houses with a tremendous police force in attendance.

Thanks to the suo moto intervention of the Punjab Haryana highcourt, the demolition came in Nuh to a hault when it lambasted the government that this was nothing but ‘ethnic cleansing’

Remember it was the first time in 76 years of India’s independence that the judiciary charged a state government with ‘ ethnic cleansing’. According to conservative estimates more than 750 houses and shops and other establishments of in the area were turned into rubble.

It has been documented in great detail by human rights organisations how a religious procession led by radical hindutva organizations was allowed to pass through a predominantly minority area of Nuh and no ban was put on the fact that they were carrying weapons and raising provocative slogans and how police turned into mute spectator when this provocation led to confrontation.

Rao Inderjit Singh, a senior member of the Central cabinet has himself questioned the police behaviour, and even deputy chief minister of Haryana government Dushyant Chautala has similarly lambasted the local administration for letting things go out of hand.

What was disturbing to note that neither the ring leaders of the fanatic Hindutva organisations were taken into custody, nor any action was taken against the likes of Monu Manesar – who is an accused in the kiling of one Nasir and Juned from Rajasthan –  who had released provocative videos before the ‘ religious procession ‘

And without any enquiry, without any order by the courts police and bulldozers were sent to this area to demolish houses and shops etc.

Today standing on the rubble would it be blasphemous to think that the people in the administration who let this happen would be punished for such behaviour, whether it is too much to expect that the hindutva rightwing provocateurs would ever be penalised for their hate crimes

IV

 

No doubt as we celebrate the 77 th anniversary of India’s independence and rededicate ourselves to complete the task of social emancipation and equality bequeathed to us by the fighters for freedom it is important to bear in mind the challenges ahead once again.

Demolition of houses in Nuh or alleged ‘takeover of Gandhian institutions’ could be considered the ‘tip of the Iceberg ‘ in this scenario of challenges.

Few months back one realised how the challenge is posed before everyone who stll believe Constitutional Principles and its values when news came in that a long time tradition at Mhow where Dr Ambedkar was born and where a big memorial to him has been built is being discontinued since this year.

Every year Samata Sainik Dal – an organisation  started by Dr Ambedkar himself – use to take out a march on this day to remember his work and continue on the path showed by him. (https://mojostory.com/ground-reports/mhow-guard-of-honour-ambedkar/)

Anybody could see that it was an attempt not only to slowly invisibilise the legacy of Dr Ambedkar’s vision behind founding Samata Sainik Dal but simultaneously militarise it as well.

V

Where do we go from here ?

Key lesson is to remember that biggest challenge ever exist before India’s secular democratic republic and all of us – Gandhians, Socialists, Communists, liberals, etc etc will have to join hands to combat the menace.

No doubt political parties like the rejuvenated Congress and the entire reenergised opposition which includes various parties will have to play a leading role in the upcoming political fight.

Today the battle ahead may look uneven but we should never forget our foremothers and forefathers who fought forces of exclusion, exploitation and darkness in their times in more challenging conditions and we have to prove that we are in a position to claim their transformatory legacy.

Perhaps it is best to remember a slogan which was much popular during struggle of Vietnamese people against US imperialism , which said : ‘People United Shall Always Be Victorious ‘

Professor Pranab Bardhan at Democracy Dialogues on 27 August 2023

 

Democracy Dialogues Lecture Series (Online )
Organised by New Socialist Initiative

24th Lecture

Theme: The Erosion Of Liberal Democracy in India: An Analysis

                           Speaker:  Prof Pranab Bardhan ( Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley)

Date and Time:   27 August 2023  at 10 AM (IST).

Join Zoom Meeting @

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Meeting ID: 884 8973 8941

Passcode:  594661

It will also be live streamed at:

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Topic : The Erosion Of Liberal Democracy in India: An Analysis

A Brief Outline of the theme shared by Prof. Bardhan

I'll start with the global context of the turn of politics to right-wing extremism in much of the world.

One of the major factors behind this is the weakening of trade unions and of labour movements in general, which in earlier days used to act as a major force of resistance.

I shall then look into the weakening of labour movements in India and the pathetic failure of the Left political organizations. I shall analyze the deficiencies in their economic policies, mobilization strategies and governance failures even in areas where they used to be influential. Just blaming the semi-fascist Right is not good enough.

I shall end with a general discussion of how in prevailing Indian ideologies (including that of the Left) liberal democracy has often been under-valued.

 Background Reading for the Talk : 

 (a) For some global context on the turn to the Right, Prof Pranab Bardhan's book  A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries (Harvard University Press publication, with a cheaper Indian edition distributed by Harper Collins India)

(b) Prof Bardhan's article in New Left Review, July-August 2022, titled "The 'New India': a Political-Economic Diagnosis"

 Speaker :

Pranab Bardhan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

He was educated at Presidency College, Kolkata and Cambridge University, England. He had been at the faculty of MIT, Indian Statistical Institute and Delhi School of Economics before joining Berkeley. 

He has done theoretical and field studies research on rural institutions in poor countries, on political economy of development policies, and on international trade. 

He was Chief Editor of the Journal of Development Economics for 1985-2003. 

He is the author of 17 books and editor of 14 other books, and author of more than 150 journal articles including in leading Economics journals 

His latest book titled A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries was  published by Harvard University Press in late 2022.

His memoir titled Charaiveti: An Academic's Global Journey is being published by Harper Collins India in late 2023.

His memoir in Bengali (titled Smriti-kanduyan, 'Memory-Sratching') has been serialized in Kolkata's leading literary magazine, Desh, and the book came out in January 2014.

He has also contributed essays to popular outlets and some of these popular pieces have now been collected in his latest books, Globalization, Democracy and Corruption and Indian Polity and Economy:A Mirror to Difficult Times (Frontpage Publications). A collection of his Bengali essays has been published by Ananda Publishers in Kolkata in 2020.

 

Debating Hindutva

 

Subhash Gatade