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New Delhi: The Delhi University (DU) has defended its controversial move to remove texts by noted author Mahasweta Devi, and Dalit writers Bama Faustina Susairaj and Sukirtharani from the curriculum of English literature, saying the decision has nothing to do with representation.
According to DU sources, three texts have been removed due to their gruesome sexual content and portraying the Indian Army in a bad light.
The matter came to light late Wednesday when some members of the DU Academic Council disagreed with the oversight committee, which is currently revising the university’s curriculum, over the decision to drop three texts, “for Dalits, tribals, women and children”. prejudice against representation”. sexual minorities”.
However, DU sources said that Padma Vibhushan recipient and upper caste writer Mahasweta Devi short story Draupadi It has been removed from the curriculum because of its gruesome sexual content.
Sources shared an example of “problematic content” Draupadi, which the panel found objectionable. It read: “Trying to move, she feels her arms and legs still tied to four positions. Something sticky under his ass and waist. His own blood Only the gag has been removed. Incredible thirst. If she says ‘water’ she clenches her lower lip into her teeth. She feels that her vagina is bleeding. How many came to make it?”
DraupadiTranslated from Bengali by Gayatri Chakravarti Spivak, is about a tribal woman who is raped by army officers. It was part of the ‘Women’s Writing’ papers in the English Literature curriculum for the fifth semester, and was taught since 1999.
Bama’s Music and Sukirtharini’s my body The other two texts – also talk about caste and gender discrimination faced by Dalit women.
“We want to show Dalit women as members of the society who have agency and voice. What is the whole commotion about?” A member of the panel told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
“We have no objection to Dalit literature and want to teach our students stories that are empowering and speak about how Dalit women broke shackles to overcome caste discrimination. The rape scenes are described in gruesome detail that can make older adults uncomfortable, I don’t know how the professor is teaching the lesson,” said the member.
“The monitoring committee is run by the executive council and the decision was taken after talking to several stakeholders. It is a democratic process and I prefer to let the committee take its final decision,” DU vice-chancellor PC Joshi told ThePrint.
“I do not know whether the names and references to the perpetrators have been lost in translation, but this (DraupadiShows the Indian Army in a very bad way. We do not want our students to hate them on the basis of fictional stories,” said DU registrar Vikas Gupta.
Read also: DU decides to implement NEP by 2022-23 amid protests by teachers union
What is the matter and controversy?
Six-member inspection committee on Wednesday removed Three lessons of the University’s English Literature course. According to committee members who spoke to ThePrint, the meeting to review the syllabus lasted for three days, after which it was decided to remove the “objectionable” texts.
This review was a part of the UGC-mandated LOCF (Learning Outcome-Based Curriculum Framework), an annual process called
After the verdict, 15 members of DU Academic Council gave a dissent note stating that there was “maximum vandalism” in the LOCF English Literature course for the fifth semester.
In the note, he said that the committee decided to remove the first two Dalit writers – Bama and Sukhartharini – and replace them with “upper caste writer Ramabai”. Social media criticism followed.
So, Mahasweta Devi (Bhattacharya) is casteless, while Dalit writers are anonymous. Castelessness is always an upper caste privilege. Correct@rajkamaljha? https://t.co/ZPwczM194F
— Dilip Mandal (@profdilipmandal) 26 August 2021
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what the faculty say
Debraj Mukherjee, associate professor at DU’s Ramjas College, told ThePrint that such decisions relating to the review of any text “should be made only on objective grounds such as overall recognition of the author and body of his work and critical acclaim, and overall academic merit of these texts”.
“Higher education means grappling with the grim realities of real lines of discomfort and fracture in society (especially for social science students), and students gain important insights by doing so. With graphic descriptions of disturbing truths Texts can be difficult to read, but connecting with such difficulty, and understanding what the author has to say about such stress points, is a part of understanding complex ideas,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar, Associate Professor of Hansraj College argued that Draupadi One sexually violent text is not enough.
“English literature (study) is in its very nature a liberating exercise and withholding something because it is sexual in nature is horrifying. Students have access to all kinds of sexual information on the Internet, what are we hiding? and If sexual content is such an issue then we should review Shakespeare’s teaching … every other page has a sexual allusion in his writings,” he said.
“The committee needs to give a better explanation to remove this story,” Kumar said.
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