As many as 1,152 academicians, writers, actors and students from India and other countries on Monday called on the Delhi University to reinstate the works of Tamil Dalit writers Bama Faustina Soosairaj and Sukirtharani, and Bengali author Mahasweta Devi to its syllabus.
The university had in August dropped three texts – Devi’s short story ‘Draupadi’, Sukirtharini’s ‘My Body’ and Soosairaj’s ‘Sangati’ – from its BA (Honours) English course. The decision drew heavy criticism.
Officials from the university said that the three texts allegedly showed the Indian Army in a bad light and had violent sexual content. In a press note on August 26, the university said that academic courses should comprise of materials that don’t hurt sentiments.
On Monday, a petition was submitted to the Delhi University Vice Chancellor PC Joshi, demanding that the institution reconsider its decision to remove the works from its syllabus.
The signatories of the petition included authors Arundhati Roy and Vikram Chandra, historians Ramachandra Guha and Romila Thapar and actors Nandita Das, Shabana Azmi and Sharmila Tagore.
They said the university’s decision was a “shocking display of prejudice against literary representations of gendered, Dalit and Adivasi oppression and resistance in decolonised India”.
The signatories added that Soosairaj and Sukirtharani, in their works, have highlighted the experiences of Dalit women in India.
Also read: ‘Draupadi’, Mahasweta Devi’s memorable short story, and still chillingly relevant
“They illumine how caste oppression colludes with modes of patriarchy to produce gendered oppression and exploitation,” the signatories added.
The academicians and writers asked if it was not important for the students of a university situated in the Capital to learn about the regional diversity of India. “How else will an inclusive, better and equal world be shaped?” they asked.
The signatories added that in Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Draupadi’, the protagonist showed “indominable resilience in the face sexual abuse and exploitation.”
They asked: “Why should students not learn about women’s oppression and resistance in and through literature? What are we afraid of?”
They criticised National Democratic Teachers’ Front, a right wing teachers’ association, for its stance on the changes to the syllabus. The group had last week said “leftist ideology” should not be allowed to dictate university syllabi, The Indian Express reported.
The teacher’s group had added: “It is an unfortunate fact that a section of teachers in the English Department exploited academic autonomy and freedom in an attempt to denigrate and demonise Hinduism and our ancient civilisation, to perpetuate animosity between social castes, to encourage militant Maoism and Naxalism.”
Meanwhile, the signatories of the petition said the exclusion of the three women writers from DU’s syllabus was an instance of “political disregard, omission and marginalisation”.
They added: “It [the removal of the texts] reveals the savarna [upper-caste] patriarchal oversight politics which we strongly criticise. We urge the university to revisit its decision.”
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