Decision to remove Ramanujan essay: Rumblings in DU

Updated on: Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Rumblings have begun in Delhi University over the Academic Council's decision to remove from syllabus an essay by scholar A K Ramanujan, with a history department meeting discussing the issue and another group of academics and students preparing a series of programmes to oppose the move.

The Department Council of History faculty met to discuss the issue and decided to pass a resolution to unequivocally condemn the decision taken by the university's top academic body last week.

It is notable that the decision was made bypassing the view of the department council of history that had recommended in favour of keeping the essay.

Though teachers of the history department refrained from commenting on the issue, sources said the department council, in a marathon meeting stretching to four and a half hours, discussed a resolution but decided to work on a "well-drafted" resolution.

History Department chairman R C Thakran could not be reached for comment.

The decision in the Academic Council too had been made in a stormy meeting and at least nine members had raised strong dissent over the issue.

The 30-page essay called 'Three Hundred Ramayanas', which offers a number of tellings of the epic story of Lord Rama, including the Jain, Buddhist and Kannada narratives, had not gone down well with sections of the right wing, some of whom called it "blasphemous".

A number of mostly left-progressive groups of teachers and students also held a meeting today in the Arts Faculty lawns in the North Campus and expressed their disgust over the issue.

The groups, including the Democratic Teachers Forum, Students Federation of India and All India Students Forum, have decided to hold a series of programmes to highlight the issue starting with a peaceful protest march on October 24 that will start from the Vivekananda statue and culminate at the Vice Chancellor's office.

The group will also bring out leaflets to make the university community aware of the entire issue and will also start a signature campaign to draw a collective response.

A member of the Democratic Teachers Front said there has been a lot of support from the academics even from outside the university and they wanted to make it very clear that they were "perturbed" by the issue.

"Interference of the saffron brigade in the field of academics can be very disturbing, and history can be one of the worst hit fields," said the teacher.

Decision to remove Ramanujan essay: Rumblings in DU

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