Dear Sanjeev Bikhachandani, supporting Professor Mahmudabad is a matter of morality, not activism

DEar Sanjeev,

My first memory Any of you When you Were First year -to -address But Your Alma Mater and Mera Workplace, St. Stephen College, about one and a half decades ago. I have heard and seen your support to the college, while as a member of the college faculty has also been a beneficiary of your positive reactions for communication.

Let us see immediate concern: Ashok Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad posted a Facebook against all types of terrorism. Was Is it polarized and disgusting? Did It attacks the Indian armed forces at a time When? A war between India and Pakistan Was it growing potentially? I found nothing against institutional interests, constitutional values ​​or human rights in his post. You had – Ashok Administration – Anyone foundHing -problematicIt would be quite understanding to remove yourself from your post. I did not find evidence of this in your letter To alumn studentDid Mahmudabad Post and up “a whole derogatory bunch People should have “? It should be, but then significant thinking (according to a Google AI, defines a feature of liberal universities Reaction in your letter) The feelings of “all the people” do not allow us to join the bandwagan. Is this this?

Some unanswered questions

You call the activists, including the faculty, students, alumni and workers, “Ashoka community”. A member of that community has been sent. Whatever the issue is, do you not have the responsibility to ensure that it gets legal support, and work for the maintenance of an environment His rights Are preserved? Will it not be a state of institutional morality?

Certainly, the university should not pay attention to legal procedures. But not to provide legal aid Meaning you support the ideas of faculty or concerned student. This only means that you are trying Stand up As a community. The atmosphere of fear, which saves us to participate in some of the duties of the community, will eventually shrink us both personal and collectively. Not about this,

I felt A Liberal University.

Students collective in universities have behaved separately in three phases: when aristocracy Young people Sent to medieval universities, they gangraped, created trouble, and finished to fight together Locals – Notorious ‘city and gown’ quarrels Which are connected to European universities in the Middle Ages.

But religious scholarship took a scientific turn through struggles in 17Wan century. Later, in 20Wan Century, students supported the ruling establishment, famous in defeating UK’s 1926 General Strike And in siding with Hitler in Germany. Universities ‘Anti-Estals Common Sense’ is a matter of 60s: women, colorful, low-class, and minority students enter the first protected place of higher education Malevolent It had a major role. He opposed capitalism, where capitalism ruled, opposed communism in Eastern Europe, where communism was in power, handed over the world system of the Cold War, brought the boundaries of socialist rhetoric of upper caste-rich countries like India and prepared a new set of values ​​for political rhetoric and educational investigation. Liberal universities required as a worker by nature Historically not ten.

Universities have never worked according to intentions their Founder: British government started colleges produce Clerk but Institute Became hotband of anti -colonial movements; Indira Gandhi’s biggest educational investment, JNU, became a serious headache For him In six years of talk. It is no surprise that the world changes in ways that we do not guess and university are powerful materials and products of that process. In the creation of a university, the community collects a culture topical and beyond immediate.

But through all these stages, universities have been seen as important houses of Ideation -Space which have been collected, stored and spread. they consider , And The process produced new ideas and frames. Under both monarchy and democracy, universities have come up with dialogue, discussion and equipment, which conduct our lives due to paradigm change because there was a place in which people were able to achieve themselves really. Therefore, each university needs to establish communities He Let the individuals be morally full and confident In their educational Travel through lifeUniversities should not be essentially generous-they can also be a neo-urgent or conservative. But what it cannot do is to say that it is not a community. creating a A sense of belonging – No university Not related To us But We are relatedIng For the university – central, will you not agree?

Also read: What Ali Khan Mahmudabad said and who has been accused is a difference between Basik literacy

Public and private institutions

Ashok University is a private university, and a school of consideration that universities are held only in public sector. I have a different approach. Given the huge jump in technology and it is a lot of redistribution to be human, many innovations are best done privately. For example, The Center for Writing and Communication of Ashok University is an effective and interesting innovation. Looking at the center The structure and the numbers they have to deal with cannot do a public university Do this and Integrate new generational knowledge so easily.

The idea of ​​demonetisation of public universities for personal support Os is Not only dangerous, but also completely impractical: Ashok, looking at his financial needs, cannot replace public universities. While one needs to be Excessive Criticism He Public university leaders sitting in executive and academic councils are showing, it cannot be convicted on private entrepreneurs. This is completely another case. Without this, public and private universities can come into co-existence, compete and even cooperate.

A significant population of India Their financial condition has been seen to improve In the last 20-25 years and private universities are a way to use that money. Educational orientation can serve as an assistant In the field of Art, nation-building, and knowledge production. Universities are places where people not only get degrees, but also Acquire Develop skills, approaches, And Learn to collective.

While your initiative to start Ashok University Is Your translation of commendable, current problem Is Potentially weakened for very possibilities a university Promises.

Finally, an disagreement: There was a very strong heritage of student activism in St. Stephen’s College – from CF Andrews, Which is taught in college, Raising his voice against British rule, For equality and constitutional rights, for women led by women, especially for women, antiCAA protest.

You studied in a publicly funded college. You had enough understanding of belonging to come back and continue your engagement with the community. This is a function of its institutional value that indicates such an act. Does Indian private universities want such a possibility, being a place of tomorrow, in another 20-30 years, the question is that there is gender in this entire episode.

Warmly,

Ashley

The author teaches English at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He tweets @Npashley2. Views are personal.

(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)