Two incidents that happened in the last week clearly showed what is wrong with my country! One which happened in Tamil Nadu. One in the place I live now, in Brighton, UK.
Last week a group of civil service aspirants from the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Thiruvarur had planned a discussion on the Kashmir issue, the abrogation of article 370 and 35A. The Vice-chancellor of the university sent out individual memoranda to the 30 odd students who allegedly participated in the discussion. Well, the memoranda said, 'anybody or group of persons who indulge in activities which is a threat to the security and integrity of India will not be tolerated' and such activity will lead to dismissal from the university followed by criminal action under IPC'.
Yesterday I got an email from a friend from university. She is organising a discussion on the Kashmir issue. The University has been kind enough in arranging two eminent speakers on this, one from India and one from Pakistan. Both social scientists, who have studied policy processes and political participation all their lives.
I'm sure the discussion will be thought-provoking. I'm sure it will be analysed from every angle possible. There will surely be questions and debates coming from both sides of the spectrum. Of course, there will be a historical narrative being presented. At the end of it all, we will come back as better people, with a better understanding of the situation, the processes and the politics of it all.
So, you may say, that this is being done since the country has no stake in it. But even Brexit was analysed threadbare in events like these.
Politics and policies should be discussed in academia. Well informed scholars who have the studied the subject should lead debates at the university campuses. If academia does not contribute, then WhatsApp universities, paid & biased journalists, riled-up politicians will fill-up the vacuum. That, unfortunately, is the tragedy of our times.
Toxic political discourse is the bane of this generation, and excluding academia from politics might well be the reason for it.
Last week a group of civil service aspirants from the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Thiruvarur had planned a discussion on the Kashmir issue, the abrogation of article 370 and 35A. The Vice-chancellor of the university sent out individual memoranda to the 30 odd students who allegedly participated in the discussion. Well, the memoranda said, 'anybody or group of persons who indulge in activities which is a threat to the security and integrity of India will not be tolerated' and such activity will lead to dismissal from the university followed by criminal action under IPC'.
Yesterday I got an email from a friend from university. She is organising a discussion on the Kashmir issue. The University has been kind enough in arranging two eminent speakers on this, one from India and one from Pakistan. Both social scientists, who have studied policy processes and political participation all their lives.
I'm sure the discussion will be thought-provoking. I'm sure it will be analysed from every angle possible. There will surely be questions and debates coming from both sides of the spectrum. Of course, there will be a historical narrative being presented. At the end of it all, we will come back as better people, with a better understanding of the situation, the processes and the politics of it all.
So, you may say, that this is being done since the country has no stake in it. But even Brexit was analysed threadbare in events like these.
Politics and policies should be discussed in academia. Well informed scholars who have the studied the subject should lead debates at the university campuses. If academia does not contribute, then WhatsApp universities, paid & biased journalists, riled-up politicians will fill-up the vacuum. That, unfortunately, is the tragedy of our times.
Toxic political discourse is the bane of this generation, and excluding academia from politics might well be the reason for it.
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