The facts emerging about the departure of the EPW editor suggest that eminent academics don't believe in giving an editor full functioning freedom. Former DU Vice Chancellor Deepak Nayyar, historian Romila Thapar, sociologist Dipankar Gupta and Ambedkar University Vice-Chancellor Shyam Menon were among those board members of the Sameeksha Trust who told editor Paranjoy Guha Thakurta that he should not have hired a lawyer without consulting them, that he was not to take a byline any more, and that they would appoint a co-editor to run the journal along with him. All prompted by a legal notice from the Adani Group. All of which amounts to forcing a self respecting editor to resign.