Skip to main content

Sangh Parivar proto-fascist? Kerala academic's query raises Govt of India eye-brows

By A Representative 
Veteran political scientist and peace and human rights activist Manoranjan Mohanty, who is with the Council for Social Development (CSD), and academic Prem Kumar Vijayan of the department of English, Hindu College, Delhi University, have sought endorsement in support for Dr Gilbert Sebastian of the Kerala Central University (KCU), being “targeted” by Sangh Parivar for seeking a discussion on whether the Sangh Parivar and the Modi government are “proto-fascist”.
Dr Sebastian, who is assistant professor at KCU, situated in Kasargod district of Kerala, “is being targeted by the right wing after he referred to Sangh Parivar as proto-fascist in one of his lectures”, an email alert b the two academics said, criticising the vice chancellor of the university for calling for an enquiry into the matter after being directed by the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Human Resources Development on receiving complaints from the Sangh Parivar students wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Dr Sebastian, who is with department of international relations and political science, was only seeking to have an “academic discussion with his students on whether India under Modi government, can be considered a proto-fascist state”, the two scholars said in the email alert, insisting, “Classrooms are meant to be platforms for discussions and interventions regarding the socio-political conditions of the country.”
Dr Sebastian
Regretting that the Sangh Parivar is using educational institutions as a “platform to spread the Hindutva terror”, the scholars said, “The Sangh has always remained intolerant towards differences and has very evidently been opposing and suppressing dissent voices. Post-2014, under the Modi government, the country has witnessed an explicit suppression of academic freedom.” They added, “The Sangh Parivar and their stooges has been trying to curb discussions and conversations thereby making classrooms less academic and more convenient to exercise their agenda of hatred.
Calling Dr Sebastian yet another victim of “this intolerance towards open discussions”, the email alert, sent through 'Jan', a forum of intellectuals, writers, editors and academicians, said, “The irresponsibility shown by the UGC and the Ministry of Human Resources development in acting without checking into the facts is to be questioned. This very gesture from the part of the administration validates the question of India stooping into a proto-fascist state.”
“We stand with Dr Sebastian and demand immediate action to be taken against ABVP for targeting the professor. We condemn the irresponsible and biased decision of the university administration, UGC and Ministry of Human Resources Development to take action against the professor for simply exercising his right to free speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution of this country. We also stand for rebuilding fearless and democratic academic spaces”, it added.

Comments

Post a Comment

NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor

TRENDING

Planning failures? Mysuru’s traditional water networks decline as city expands

By Prajna Kumaraswamy, Mansee Bal Bhargava   The tropical land–water-scape of India shapes every settlement through lakes, ponds, wetlands, and rivers. Mysuru (Mysore) is a city profoundly shaped by both natural and humanly constructed water systems. For generations, it has carried a collective identity tied to the seasonal rhythms of the monsoon, the life-giving presence of the Cauvery and Kabini rivers , and the intricate network of lakes and ponds that dot the cityscape. Water transcends being merely a resource; it is part of collective memory, embedded in place names, agricultural heritage, and the very land beneath our feet. In an era of rapid urbanization and climate-induced land–water transformations, understanding this profound relationship with the land–water-scape is strategic for sustainability, resilience, and even survival.
1 comment
»

Activists Akriti, Satyam Verma face NSA in Noida protest case: PUCL

By A Representative   Human rights activist Kavita Shrivastava has alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Police is invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against two activists associated with Mazdoor Bigul in connection with the Noida workers’ protest case, even as labour unrest continues to spread across industrial belts in several northern states.
Post a Comment
»

Why was this BJP leader forced to call off marriage of his daughter with Muslim boy?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  A marriage of two individuals belonging to different faiths was ultimately postponed as the 'champions' of the social morality dominated the discourse and threatened the father of the girl who happened to be the chairman of Pauri city municipality. Yashpal Benam, a BJP leader, posted the invitation of his daughter's wedding with a Muslim boy from Uttar Pradesh. Both the boy and the girl became friend during their B Tech course and were in relationship. There were reports that they already got married in the court but we don't know the reality. Perhaps the family of the girl wanted to send a message of 'acceptability' and 'appreciation' of such a marriage by the society. Invitations were sent to all but soon after it went wide spread on the social media, the champion of Hindu dharma jumped into the fray and started threatening the father. There were hundreds of calls asking the father hundreds of questions about the marriage. What...
Post a Comment
»