[Reader-list] Such A Long Journey dropped from Mumbai University's SYBA English Syllabus - St Xavier's College expresses dissent

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear all,

Apropos of the barbaric move to drop Rohinton Mistry's 'Such a Long  
Journey' from the SYBA English Syllabus of Mumbai University - here  
are a set of links. And an online petition, that I would urge  
everyone to sign and circulate.

best,

Shuddha

Begin forwarded message:

> From: peter griffin <zigzackly at gmail.com>
> Date: 11 October 2010 4:31:26 PM GMT+05:30
> To: "Griff's Picks" <griffspicks at googlegroups.com>
> Subject: Such A Long Journey dropped from Mumbai University's SYBA  
> English Syllabus - St Xavier's College expresses dissent
>
> See also:
> http://stxaviers.net/noticeboard/node/230
> http://www.hindustantimes.com/Citizens-protest-dropping-book-from- 
> varsity-syllabus/Article1-611114.aspx
> http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/ 
> 15/20101010201010100933117653add10bf/Xavier%E2%80%99s-principal- 
> takes-on-Sena-and-his-own-student.html
>
>
> And the letter below is also at http://www.petitiononline.com/ 
> SYBAban/petition.html should you wish to sign it.
>
> To:  Governor of Maharashtra (Chancellor of the University of Mumbai)
> Dear Friends,
>
> Please find included in this email is a letter that has been  
> drafted to express dissent with the manner in which the Vice- 
> Chancellor of the University of Mumbai has flouted administrative  
> procedures and bypassed academic bodies to omit a novel from the  
> syllabus of English Literature for SYBA in response to pressure  
> from a political group.
>
> It is addressed to the Governor of Maharashtra, who is the  
> Chancellor of the University and copies will be marked to the VC  
> and to the Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
>
> If you strongly feel that voices of dissent need to emerge against  
> the shrinking democratic spaces within the university and the city  
> of Mumbai in general, then please lend your support by endorsing  
> the statement and signing the letter, and replying to the person  
> who has sent you the email so that signatures can be collated.
>
> Please feel free to forward this to friends and colleagues who will  
> be interested, and get back to me when you get signatures from  
> them, latest by Wednesday the 13th of October, 2010.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Shashank
>
>
>
> The letter:
>
>
>
> To,
>
> The Governor of Maharashtra,
> Address
>
>
> Cc:
>
> The Vice Chancellor,
> University of Mumbai,
> Address
>
> The Chairman of the University Grants Commission,
> Address
>
>
>
> Subject: Statement of Opposition Against the Vice-Chancellor’s  
> Decision to Drop Such A Long Journey from the SYBA English Syllabus  
> of Mumbai University
>
>
>
> We, the undersigned condemn the undemocratic manner in which  
> Rohintion Mistry’s novel Such A Long Journey has been omitted from  
> the Second Year Bachelor of Arts (SYBA) English Literature syllabus  
> of the University of Mumbai.
>
>
>
> We are disturbed and alarmed by the manner in which the Vice- 
> Chancellor of the University, Dr. Rajan Welukar, bowed down to the  
> demands of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (the student wing of  the  
> Shiv Sena) and had the novel dropped from the syllabus overnight,  
> purely on account of the group’s displeasure with “anti Shiv Sena  
> passages”; “derogatory references” to Mumbai’s dabbawalas, the  
> Marathi Manoos and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; and “extremely obscene  
> and vulgar language in its’ text”.
>
>
>
> While we do not deny that the BVS and its’ supporters have every  
> right to be outraged by the contents of the novel, we strongly  
> oppose the means which they have chosen to express their dissent,  
> which includes burning copies of the book and the issuing of  
> ultimatums not only for the VC to omit the text from the syllabus  
> within 24 hours, but also to exclude the professors who included to  
> text in the syllabus from any university work in the future.  
> Furthermore, being keenly aware of the immense bureaucracy involved  
> in the decision-making processes of the University, we question the  
> nature of the administrative process which led to the book being  
> dropped from the syllabus and demand that the details of the said  
> proceedings be made public.
>
>
>
> Lastly, in the interest of upholding the democratic principles  
> enshrined within the Indian Constitution, we demand that the novel  
> be reinstated in the syllabus and urge the BVS and its’ supporters   
> to initiate healthy and democratic debate regarding whether it  
> deserves a place in the syllabus or not.
>
>
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
>
> Your name, College/Organisation name, Position/Department/Year, etc.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>

Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net