Ashoka University: Correspondence on Professor P. B. Mehta's Resignation
NB: Appended below are documents which appeared in the public domain between March 17 and March 21. (The Joint Statement is curious for bearing the signatures of the two departing scholars, who apparently refer to themselves in the third person). The contrast between the content of the first three letters and that of the remainder of the missives is striking, and reminds me of the titles of two books that I came across recently, namely, Alexei Yurchak's Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More (2005); and Peter Pomerantsev's 'This Is Not Propaganda' (2019). If any errors are noticed in the texts and brought to my attention, I will correct them. I repeat, have cut and pasted them from the public domain. Here is Prem Shankar Jha's comment on what has happened: DS
Resignation letters of Professor Mehta, Professor Arvind Subramanian
Letter of Protest by Ashoka Faculty
Letter to students, by Professor Mehta
Joint Statement issued by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Chancellor; Malabika Sarkar Vice-Chancellor; Pratap Bhanu Mehta Former Vice-Chancellor and Professor; Arvind Subramanian Professor; and Ashish Dhawan Chairman Board of Trustees
Letter to Ashoka students and alumni by Ashish Dhawan Chairman Board of Trustees
Letter to students, faculty, alumni, parents and founders, by Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Chancellor
******************************************
Pratap Bhanu Mehta's Letter March 17
Dear Prof
Sarkar,
I write to
tender my resignation from Ashoka University as University Professor. After a
meeting with Founders it has become abundantly clear to me that my association
with the University may be considered a political liability. My public writing
in support of a politics that tries to honour constitutional values of freedom
and equal respect for all citizens, is perceived to carry risks for the
university. In the interests of the University I resign. I would request that
the resignation take immediate effect. I am teaching one class, and would not like
to leave the students stranded. But I think the university can find a solution.
I can informally finish out the rest of the classes, if no other solution is
found.
It has been
a great privilege to get to know the students and several wonderful colleagues
at Ashoka. I hope that the institution continues to thrive. I thank you and the
Chancellor for your personal kindness over the years of my association with
Ashoka.
It is clear
it is time for me to leave Ashoka. A liberal university will need a liberal political
and social context to flourish. I hope the university will play a role in
securing that environment. Nietzsche once said that “no living for truth is
possible in a university.” I hope that prophecy does not come true. But in
light of the prevailing atmosphere, the Founders and the Administration will
require renewed commitment to the values of Ashoka, and new courage to secure
Ashoka’s freedom.
My only
request is that the administration cooperate in making all the transition
formalities as painless as possible. If any arrangements can take due
consideration of my driver, Gajendra Sahu, I will be most grateful. He moved
jobs with me and should not be penalised. If some interim help can be granted
to him, while I make alternative arrangements to transfer him to an appropriate
payroll, I shall be obliged.
I will
forever remain a supporter of the values Ashoka is meant to embody. Please
convey my deepest gratitude to all of Ashoka’s faculty, students and staff.
They have all been unfailingly professional, supportive and generous. I will
have a hard copy with my signature sent to you as well. But this mail be
treated as my resignation.
*********************
Arvind
Subramanian’s resignation letter March 18
Dear
Malabika,
As you know,
I came to Ashoka University with the aim of teaching students, and building a
centre for economic policy to build our national capacity for high-quality
research, analysis and communication. With the University’s support, especially
of key trustees, the Centre has been taking shape—with events, research
projects, teams of talented researchers, and resources—beyond what I could have
hoped for, especially considering the pandemic-induced constraints. The exciting
sense was growing that some of our long-term goals would be achieved. And I was
really enjoying getting to know and work with the brilliant students and
colleagues of Ashoka.
However, the
circumstances involving the “resignation” of Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who
is not just a dear friend but a truly inspirational national figure, have
devastated me. I am acutely aware of the broader context in which Ashoka and
its trustees have to operate, and have so far admired the University for having
navigated it so well.
But that
someone of such integrity and eminence, who embodied the vision underlying
Ashoka, felt compelled to leave is troubling. That even Ashoka—with its private
status and backing by private capital—can no longer provide a space for
academic expression and freedom is ominously disturbing. Above all, that the
University’s commitment to fight for and sustain the Ashoka vision is now open
to question makes it difficult for me to continue being part of Ashoka.
So it is
with a sense of deep regret and profound sadness that I am writing to submit my
resignation from the University which will take effect from the end of this
academic year. I wish you and the University, and especially its gifted and
motivated students–who are the heart of Ashoka–success in the future.
Sincerely, Arvind
****************
Ashoka
Faculty Letter, March 18, 2021
To,
Professor Malabika Sarkar, Vice Chancellor
Mr. Ashish
Dhawan, Chairman of Board of Trustees Ashoka University.
The
resignation of Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta from Ashoka University on Tuesday,
March 16, 2021 is a matter of great anguish for the university faculty. It is
not just an occasion for sorrow over the departure of a deeply respected and admired
colleague. It also raises urgent questions about the university’s commitment to
academic freedom as well as its internal processes.
In light of
media reports that circulated before the official announcement of Professor
Mehta’s departure from the university, it seems quite plausible that his
resignation was a direct consequence of his role as a public intellectual and
critic of the government. We are greatly troubled by this scenario. Even more
troubling is the possibility that our university may have acceded to pressure
to remove Professor Mehta or to request, and accept, his resignation. This
would fly against the principles of academic freedom on which Ashoka University
has been set up – and which Professor Mehta, in his time as Vice Chancellor and
University Professor, has so scrupulously fought to defend. It would also set a
chilling precedent for future removals of faculty, curtailing our sense of who
we are as researchers and teachers.
We request
the university to ask Professor Mehta to rescind his resignation. We also
request that the university clarify its internal protocols of faculty
appointment and dismissal, and reinforce its institutional commitment to the
principles of academic freedom. We stand fully in support of Professor Mehta
and all academics who risk their personal and professional well-being by
speaking truth to power.
Sincerely,
Ashoka
Faculty
************************
Letter to students, by Professor Mehta
Dear Superheroes, This is the most difficult letter I have ever written. I wanted to write earlier. But we are still processing the train of events that led to my resignation, along with Prof. Subramanian. I was personally overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection and support you have displayed over the last week. Your solidarity means to me more than I can ever express in words. It is affection that will overwhelm me whenever I will remember this week.
But the
deeper reason why this is difficult to write is this. Ashoka as an institution
stands indicted before your bracing moral clarity and deep political wisdom.
Your protests instantly grasped what we, your elders, failed to adequately
understand. Your protest was not about two individuals. It was about Ashoka's
institutional integrity. But it was also about the dark and ominous shadows
that loom over India democracy. As we worry about Ashoka, you also reminded us
that the challenges we face pale in comparison with what our academic
colleagues in universities elsewhere in India face. You connected the dots.
Your protest was focussed on Ashoka. But it was about values larger than
Ashoka. As many of you know, one of my favourite quotes is from George Eliot,
“the right to rebellion is the right to seek a higher rule, and not to wander
in mere lawlessness.” Your “rebellion” was grounded in a concern for freedom
and democracy. You carried it out with dignity, grace and I might add, based on
memes some of you shared, some serious artistic creativity. So what can we,
those who let you down, say to you?
The first
thing I will say is this. In all candour, this episode will be seen to have
hurt Ashoka's reputation. But in a larger sense Ashoka's reputation will be
enhanced, not by what the University did but what you did. You may lose a
couple of Professors. But anyone looking at you will wonder in admiration. The
poise and articulacy with which your defended important values and demanded
accountability should make anyone want to associate with this university. You
are its beating heart and soul and nothing can damage that.
Second, it
is not for me to intercede in this matter. But I imagine your voice will, in
the long run make Ashoka a better university and get it to recommit to its
ideals and values. So your outpouring is already a victory of sorts. You have
taught us by example, what we were badly trying to teach you by lectures. You
should be proud of yourselves. You should be confident that you will create a
better world. You have already accomplished Ashoka's mission. In institutional
contexts, principles and values cannot be replaced; individuals always can. So
my plea to you is this. It is time for me to move on. Teaching at Ashoka,
particularly the last couple of years, has been an absolute joy. It reinforced
the one conviction I have carried my life without fail: students never ever let
you down. So giving up the company of Ashoka students and colleagues,
disrupting our lives, and leaving a fine university, is not an easy decision.
But it is, for me, the only honourable thing to do, consistent with my values;
values I think you share. I also believe it is in the best interests of the
university. It is often said that you cannot swim in the same river twice. In
the contrarian spirit of Ashoka, I tried by resigning twice!! I hope even you
might forgive me for not wanting to tempt fate again. The underlying
circumstances that led to the resignation will not change for the foreseeable
future, in my case, at any rate. So I must close this chapter. I urge you not
to press on this matter. I know you will be disappointed. But if I may exercise
one last bit of professorial discretion: your mission is larger than the fate
of two Professors.
I hope the
Trustees and Faculty will work with you to secure your renewed trust and
confidence. With your guidance they will be able to secure the institutional
autonomy and freedom Ashoka needs. You embody the courage, reasonableness and
understanding of democratic values that will take the university forward. I
request you to work with them to make Ashoka a success. We live in complicated
times. India is bursting with creativity. But the dark shadows of
authoritarianism are also hovering over us, putting us all in often
uncomfortable and sometimes dishonourable positions. We will have to find
principled and intelligent ways of overcoming this condition. Most of us are
reduced to lamenting this looming darkness. I leave Ashoka with the conviction
that a young generation is emerging that will provide what Vivekananda said we
needed. We don't simply need people who cry darkness. We need someone who can
shine the light. I am confident, all of you can and will.
I am from a
small town Jodhpur, and there is a saying in Marwari that begins “Dharam reh
si, reh si dhara” (where there is dharma the earth is preserved). My
conversation with you on these matters has been a source of immense pleasure.
But the good thing about his conversation is that it continues wherever we are,
through the texts I so enjoyed with you this year: Plato, Mahabharata,
Montaigne, Hobbes, Marx, Beauvoir, Kant and many others. But what you taught us
is something more valuable: that liberal values are more about having a
character than they are about professing a creed. It is a character you have in
ample measure. I am eternally grateful to you. Thank you so much.
With the
highest admiration,
Pratap Bhanu
Mehta
***************
Joint
Statement March 20
The
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ashoka
University express deep regret at the recent events surrounding the
resignations of Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Prof. Arvind Subramanian who have
been extraordinary colleagues and faculty members at Ashoka University.
The
University has been privileged to have been led, guided and counselled by
Pratap first as Vice Chancellor and then as senior faculty. He has worked
closely with the faculty and founders over the years to take the University
into a position of being rightly acknowledged as a great centre of learning,
teaching and research.
Arvind
brought eminence, stature, fresh ideas and energy to the University. He is one
of the premier thinkers about the Indian and the global economy. He leaves a
void that will be hard to fill.
We
acknowledge that there have been some lapses in institutional processes which
we will work to rectify in consultation with all stakeholders. This will reaffirm
our commitment to academic autonomy and freedom which have always been at the
core of the Ashoka University ideals.
Pratap and
Arvind would like to emphasize that Ashoka University is one of the most
important projects in Indian higher education. They are sad to be leaving
Ashoka, especially its outstanding students and faculty. They continue to
believe strongly that Ashoka University should embody a liberal vision and
commitment to academic freedom and autonomy. And they remain lifelong friends
and well-wishers of the institution and are committed to its success wherever
they are.
They remain
available for advice and consultation to the University in the future.
Jointly
issued by: Rudrangshu Mukherjee
Chancellor; Malabika Sarkar Vice-Chancellor
Pratap Bhanu
Mehta Former Vice-Chancellor and Professor
Arvind
Subramanian Professor; Ashish Dhawan Chairman Board of Trustees
*********************
Letter
from Ashish Dhawan - Chairman Board of Trustees March 21
Dear Ashoka
students and alumni,
I know you have
been waiting to hear from me and I would like to apologise to you
personally for the delay in reaching out. The past few days have been anxious
and uncertain, and all of us have been swamped with discussions on how to
move ahead. We are now better positioned to interact with you and will be
meeting with the Student Government and Alumni Council today.
Universities
take centuries to build. While we have been at it now for just over a
decade, we are still in our infancy. Through this journey, which has had
its share of challenges, our founders and trustees have always had the
best interests of Ashoka at heart. None of them have even an iota of
commercial or business interest in the university. Even as we grow, I
assure you that we are all committed to giving you the highest quality of
education possible. We will work tirelessly to continue to bring the best minds
and the finest scholars to Ashoka and build a university that you are all
proud to belong to.
We stand for
free enquiry, academic freedom and intellectual independence and always
will. We would not have come this far if that was not the case. Questions are
meant to be asked, and I understand why all of you are asking them right
now. I want to encourage you to continue questioning the world around
you, including us. But you should also know that we, as a University,
will never intentionally let you down. You always have had and will have
the freedom to express yourself. We are all committed to providing you an
environment of excellence and helping Ashoka grow but the university
needs your help and support now more than ever.
I have known
Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta closely for over a decade. I worked
intensely with our faculty and then Vice-Chancellor to bring him to Ashoka. For
me, Pratap is not just rightfully India’s foremost public intellectual
but also a friend from whom I have learned a lot. We have jointly
co-created Ashoka from Day One. I, of course, worked closely with him
when he was the Vice-Chancellor and most recently on the Centre for China
Studies. I worked for months with Pratap to bring Professor Arvind
Subramanian to Ashoka and I am privileged and honoured to have worked with him
as well on several projects, including the Centre for Economic Policy. It
has been an absolute delight to work with both of them in building Ashoka
and I am as saddened as you are at their departure. I deeply regret any
lapses that led to this situation—this was not something we had
anticipated or planned.
I have
personally met Pratap several times over the past few days and have been on
calls with him frequently. Our interactions continue to be as friendly
and full of mutual respect as they have always been. You have seen our
joint statement so you know the outcome of these meetings and discussions
which have occupied us for the past few days.
As we move
forward, there are certain things that need to change. For one, the last
few days have taught us it is really important for us to build an open
line of communication and also listen to you. We will make ourselves
available for meetings with the Student Government and Alumni Council on
a regular basis. The Ashoka administration is entrepreneurial in spirit,
and we know that you are too. We want to encourage you to express yourselves
and know that we will be there to hear you and take your feedback. This
university belongs to you as much as it does to the faculty and the founders.
So, I invite you to use your voice to help us understand what you need and I
promise you that we will do our best. We hope to become a more inclusive
university that continues to develop on the basis of student, faculty, and
administration partnerships.
I assure you
that Ashoka is a space that aims to empower its entire community and
build on its core values. I know that this week has been full of anguish
but it is in these moments that it becomes critical for us to come
together and move forward. I admit that the departures of Professors
Mehta and Subramanian make us all feel a tremendous loss but there is
nothing for you to fear. As an institution, we are committed to freedom
in every aspect. Even as we evolve, this commitment will never fade. I
urge all of you to continue to believe in Ashoka University and to work
with us so that we can grow stronger and evolve together.
Ashish
Dhawan
Chairman,
Board of Trustees
********************
Letter
from the Chancellor, Rudrangshu Mukherjee
Dear
students, faculty, alumni, parents and founders
I write to
you today as your professor, Founding Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor, and as
also a key architect of Ashoka University.
I have been
associated with Ashoka University for nearly ten years from the time I was
invited to teach on its Young India Fellowship program in 2011. In 2014,
I was privileged to be appointed the University’s Founding
Vice-Chancellor and its first Professor of History.
I was
involved, with several colleagues, in designing Ashoka's initial academic
offering, its first set of Foundation Courses, and hiring the first members
of the faculty. This past decade of building Ashoka University has been
one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Ashoka
University’s commitment to core values and our Founders and Trustees' role are
being questioned in the wake of the recent resignation of Professor
Pratap Bhanu Mehta. I want to respond to this. First, Pratap is a close
personal friend and someone who I immensely respect. I was involved in
bringing him to Ashoka, and he succeeded me as Vice-Chancellor. He has
made invaluable contributions to building Ashoka into the institution it
is today. We all regret what has happened, but I am sure we will recover
and move forward from the situation we find ourselves in.
It would be
no exaggeration to say that some of my colleagues, including faculty members
and some Founders, and myself drew up the core values of Ashoka—critical
thinking, intellectual autonomy, learning through debate and interaction,
the importance of social responsibility, and of moral courage. Ashoka
University and its reputation stand on these pillars. We have always been
and will remain committed to academic freedom and intellectual independence.
This is why Ashoka has set new standards in higher education in India.
With our additional commitment to excellence, I do not doubt that we will
continue to scale new heights.
While its
bold vision and achievements are a source of deep fulfillment, I have
derived tremendous inspiration working with the Founders of Ashoka. I had
to engage very closely with the Founders in building and fundraising for
the University. I can only say these are individuals who have worked
selflessly and tirelessly to build Ashoka into what it is today. Most of us
were introduced to Ashoka by them. They have worked alongside us and
seamlessly with us. Ashoka has a unique and unprecedented governance
model that is collaborative but has natural guardrails to preserve
academic integrity and independence.
Today when
the Founders are being attacked for trying to compromise and curtail
academic autonomy and freedom of expression, I find it necessary as
Chancellor, and given my association with Ashoka from its inception, to
state unambiguously that the Founders have never interfered with academic
freedom: faculty members have been left free to construct their own
courses, follow their own methods of teaching and their own methods of
assessment. They have also been left free to carry out their own research
and publications.
There are
only two points that the Founders have insisted upon. One, that Ashoka should
not compromise on intellectual standards; and two, that the Foundation
Courses should be integral to Ashoka's academic offering.
Ashoka has
been, for me, a place of many firsts and of setting new benchmarks. As
the Chancellor, I see it as my duty that the core values as laid out
above are unfailingly adhered to. As Ashoka University overcomes these
difficult times and moves forward.
I hope you
will stay unwavering in your support for our quest to build India’s greatest university.
Rudrangshu
Mukherjee
Chancellor
Ashoka
University
20th March,
2021
***********************************************
Prem Shankar Jha: Hindutva's Dead Hand in Destroying India's Future: A Personal Lament
STATEMENT BY ASHOKA UNIVERSITY FACULTY - March 18,
2021
Ashoka University: Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s letter and my comment DS
Mitali Saran - Standing your ground: A toolkitPratap Bhanu Mehta: Serial authoritarianism picks out targets and tires out challenges
