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

Mon Oct 11 23:19:50 IST 2010

"
"The story is set in Bombay during the early seventies, at the time of
India’s second war with Pakistan, in the days just before Indira
Gandhi’s infamous emergency. Mistry portrays Indira as a power hungry
statesman, a dictator in the making with police tactics and nepotism
to champion the cause of her incapable son Sanjay.

An intriguing tale that mixes politics, love, espionage, friendship,
and fate, Such a long journey is also a profound, insightful outlook
on the many troubles plaguing modern India. A fascinating read."

On Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 10:44 PM, geeta seshu <geetaseshu at gmail.com> wrote:
>  Withdrawal of acclaimed book from Mumbai University curriculum: A cowardly
> move
>  A groundswell of opinion is building up against the move by the Mumbai
> University’s Vice Chancellor to withdraw Rohinton Minstry’s book ‘Such a
> long journey’ from the curriculum for undergraduates.  A Free Speech Hub
> report
>
> http://www.thehoot.org/web/freetracker/story.php?storyid=165&sectionId=9
>
> On Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 4:41 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>>
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