Withdrawal of acclaimed book from Mumbai University curriculum: A cowardly move
The craven manner in which Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar succumbed to the protests by the Shiv Sena’s youth wing Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena and hurriedly withdrew an acclaimed book from the syllabus of the second year Bachelor of Arts course for English Literature, has shocked and angered many.
Initially, it seemed as if a deafening and depressing silence from the academic community greeted the withdrawal of Rohinton Mistry’s book, ‘Such a Long Journey’. The protests seemed confined to facebookers, bloggers and members of listservs.
But the statement posted on the notice-board of the website of the St Xavier’s College last week is heartening:
St. Xavier's College is proud to consider Rohington Mistry as a distinguished alumnus. The Management, Staff and Students of the College read with consternation the news item on Saturday 2nd Oct, 2010, of the emergency withdrawal of his book, SUCH A LONG JOURNEY, by the University of Mumbai, in mid-term.
The book in question has not evoked any controversy in civil society and is considered an example of excellent literature, recounting life as lived by the common men and women of our time. It does reflect critically on political parties of all hues and in particular, deplores the threats of violence unleashed in the 1970s by a particular political party in Maharashtra.
It is inconceivable that in the 21st century, a political party will not show the maturity to accept criticism and answer it by the evidence of its own actions. Is it not unreasonable, that literature is banned, merely because it dares to critique us?
St. Xavier's College regrets that this book, written by an alumnus, and widely acclaimed in the literary world, has been treated in this manner.
Dr. Frazer Mascarenhas S.J.
Principal
(Ironically, the move to withdraw the book comes from Shiv Sena youth leader Aditya Thackeray, grandson of Bal Thackeray, and a student of the same college!
But that’s a minor detail, and the contradictions between the pursuit of knowledge that one hopes is the desire of every student and the political compulsions of a scion of the Thackeray family may make for another novel!)
According to press reports, the novel’s references to the Shiv Sena and its role in the riots of 1992 were inaccurate. "This objectionable novel uses extremely obscene and vulgar language in its text and also makes anti-Sena remarks," said Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena chief, Abhijit Panse.
Now, a number of activists from civil society organisations have issued a statement objecting to the Vice-Chancellor's action and urging a debate on the issue. An online petition has also been initiated.
Amongst the first protests against the Vice-Chancellor’s move was a post on Facebook by a former student of the university, Shobha SV. Addressing an ‘Open letter to Rajan Welukar’, Shobha asked:
So why do you really want to ban a book? How does it help to ban a book? Why didn’t the students get any chance to give their opinion? Do you think they are not capable of having an opinion or do they really not matter at all in the given scheme of things? Am I asking for too much? Did you even ask the teachers what they thought of the book? I am asking this because you seem to have effected this ban by bypassing the academic council. You only chose to hear one puny section of the student (?!) group and decided to act. It is appalling that a vice chancellor of a university which is 150 years old chooses to act in such a cowardly fashion. It is not just cowardly, it is also chauvinistic. By not taking into account the opinion of any other the groups associated with education per se, you have exhibited totalitarian attitude.
There were several comments in response to her post, especially her remarks on the ‘sad talibanisation of our society, a society that is marred by fear and apathy’.
Clearly, others echo this fear.
Journalist Mahesh Vijapurkar, writing in his blog Vox Persona, is worried that the withdrawal of the book from the curriculum of Mumbai University may be the first step towards Aditya Thackeray’s demand to ban it from bookstores too!
"I would not be surprised if that is the first agenda of the proposed Yuva Sena. But I do hope it would not be for in India, the list of books either restricted because of mob fury or proscribed because of the government's lack of intellectual strength, is only growing. If books get banned, then what happens to the researchers of the future? Where would they look for them for references?"
The blog also discussed a resolution unsuccessfully moved in the last annual general meeting of the Asiatic Society of Bombay to stock banned books. The resolution was proposed by K Haridas, a senior member of the Society, who said, "Those in power ban books right,left and centre and,that too,on extraneous grounds. Owing to that,researchers and scholars are often deprived of rich study material. So,these prohibited books should be stocked in library but the Society should frame stringent rules to avoid their wrongful use". The resolution was seconded by another member and scholar, M V Kumar.
Unfortunately, the resolution did not get much support as the Managing Committee of the Society, was worried about the legal implications as well as the threat of vandalism that the stocking of banned books may attract.
Interestingly, one of the first comments against the withdrawal of Rohinton Mistry’s book came from the Asiatic Society’s current President, Dr Aroon Tikekar. A scholar, researcher and former editor of Loksatta, Dr Tikekar had authored a wonderful history of Bombay University, ‘Beneath the Cloister’s Pale’. In an article in the Mumbai Mirror "Timidity has no room in Academics’, he wrote:
What an unwise move it is of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, to withdraw Rohinton Mistry’s book, Such a Long Journey, from the syllabus of the second year B A course.
Just because Aditya Thackeray, still an undergraduate, but too eager to launch himself politically, demanded an immediate withdrawal on the ground that it has allegedly "some anti - Shiv Sena sentences".
It is all the more shocking that the Vice-Chancellor, in his timidity, did not feel the necessity of even going back to the Academic Council of the University or find out the antecedents of the book.
He goes on to state that : Any other good educational administrator would have at least bought time and told the agitated youth that the final decision can be taken only in the meeting of the Academic Council of the University of Mumbai and that he would convey their feelings to the members of the Council.
By succumbing to the pressure tactics of the members of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, the Vice-Chancellor has embarrassed the state government and let down the entire academic community badly. One surely expected better mental solidarity from him. Timidity has no room in academics.
The Maharashtra government has now decided to examine the Vice-Chancellor’s decision. It remains to be seen if it has more gumption.