Founders made clear I was political liability for Ashoka University: Pratap Bhanu Mehta
“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... 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.”
It is well-known that dictators dislike philosophy and the humanities, whereas they are content to allow institutes of business management or engineering etc., to flourish, as long as their inmates keep their noses out of broader social issues. If Ashoka's founders were inclined to suppress freedom of expression in 'their' campus, they should never have embarked upon this venture. Confronted with phone calls from the high and mighty, they should have stood their ground and upheld Ashoka's core values. They should have tested the shadowy intimidation of whomsoever was pressurising them and forced them to emerge in broad daylight.
Let it be known that our rulers cannot tolerate criticism. Let's see how many reputable foreign universities lend their franchises to Indian campuses. Let's see which self-respecting scholars join such institutions. Speech is the essence of being human, and political stability purchased at the cost of free speech is self-defeating. The aspiration toward total homogeneity of the human character is an impulse well-known under the name 'totalitarianism'. You may desire to see a society of zombies, but we are bound to resist it.
In his public utterances, Professor Mehta has never abused his position, or promoted violence, hatred and discord. To the contrary, he has sought to uphold constitutional values and the dignity of all citizens. If he is an embarrassment to the Founders, so are many of us. What Ashoka's governors have chosen to do is disgraceful. Ideology is a form of silence; the enforcement of ideology is the enforcement of silence. Shame on you. DS
Founders made clear I was political liability for Ashoka University
Putting on record his reason for leaving Ashoka University, scholar and commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote in his resignation letter earlier this week that the founders made it “abundantly clear” his association with the institution was a “political liability.” The crisis at Ashoka in the wake of Mehta’s resignation deepened Thursday. Calling the exit “ominously disturbing,” for academic freedom, Mehta’s colleague and former Chief Economic Advisor in the Modi government Arvind Subramanian sent in his resignation, too. Students protested on campus, the faculty issued a statement calling for Mehta’s return, and at least two more faculty members are said to be on the verge of quitting.
Sources told The
Indian Express that Ashoka’s founders, including Ashish Dhawan and
Pramath Raj Sinha, met Mehta recently and are said to have referred to the
“current political environment,” while “suggesting” that his intellectual
interventions were something they could no longer protect…
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STATEMENT BY ASHOKA UNIVERSITY FACULTY - March 18,
2021
