Row over Delhi University Syllabus: Student body ABVP claims chapters in History and English syllabus on mob lynching, Muzaffarnagar Riots and Gujarat Riots hurt community sentiment, Professors dismiss the allegations.
Delhi University is seeing turbulent times. Student body ABVP is protesting against the new syllabus of English and History, alleging that parts of it hurt community sentiment. The right-wing student body surrounded the Vice Regal Lodge inside the university complex.
Along with a member of the Academic Council, ABVP is protesting against material that it calls “objectionable material on the RSS” in the syllabus. They allege that the updated syllabus of English Journalism course includes chapters on Muzaffarnagar riots and lynching incidents. As per ABVP, this is an attempt to target the RSS and its affiliate organisations.
Aademic council member Rasal Singh claimed the source material of such chapters has been taken from “biased” news portals which often criticised the government, “They are targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organisations, even our prime minister.”
The AC member claimed that stories like ‘Maniben alias Bibijaan’ on the 2002 Gujarat riots, and papers like ‘Literature in Caste’ and ‘Interrogating Queerness’ show an incorrect picture of the right-wing outfit and Indian culture. Singh said, “There is an attempt to take the syllabus towards the Leftist ideology. All these materials are anti-RSS and against nationalism. The head of the English department should resign.”
On the other hand, Professor Raj Kumar, head of the English department, said his department “has taken a firm stand on not hurting the sentiments of any community.”
Another professor who was involved in framing the syllabus, rejected any bias and said it was “an attempt to teach students how to cover sensitive topics.” He said, “In classroom sessions, students need to be taught how to cover various issues and we cannot be hypothetically teaching them by saying if there are riots, you need to do this. We can teach by telling them how a particular issue was covered by news channels, newspapers and news portals,” he said.
As per sources, the syllabus of four departments of Delhi University – English, history, political science, and sociology – have been referred back for scrutiny and revision.
In media reports, a professor in the know, claimed that “ABVP members tried to barge into the vice chancellor’s office.” He said that ABVP surrounded the VC’s office and shouted slogans. They demanded that the heads of History and English departments and an AC member Saikat Ghosh be ‘handed over’ to them.
He said, “When Saikat Ghosh spoke in the academic council meeting in defence of the English syllabus, immediately after that the ABVP tried to enter the Council Hall.”
ABVP denied the allegations, and said that they had held peaceful protests outside the meeting venue.
