After 42 faculty members of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) came out in support of JNU students, saying that the “state cannot define who is an Indian and what is nationalism” on February 18, another delegation of 60 faculty members of the institution wrote to President Mukherjee condemning the action of JNU students.
In their letter to the President they have asked the President to “make a call to the young brilliant minds of our nation not to indulge in/ become victims of the ideological warfare and thereby waste their time, energy and national resources, but to engage in promotion of serious scholarship that would take the nation forward.”
You can read the full text here along with the full-list of signatories:
Call to End Ideological Warfare and Promote Serious Scholarship
We, the undersigned faculty members of IIT Bombay, are writing this letter to you to express our deep concern and anguish about the recent activities at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, that undermine national interests, and our shared vision to uphold the rights given to us by the Constitution of India. These activities provide ample indication that certain groups are trying to make use of the young minds in premier institutions to create an environment of abuse and acrimony, instead of peace and harmony. This has not only deeply damaged the image of JNU, but has also tarnished the reputation of our democracy which we hold in the highest esteem.
Besides JNU, today we note that certain other institutes of higher learning are also treated as ``safe havens" for activities that are not in national interests. The brilliant young minds, instead of engaging themselves in activities that would provide a healthy atmosphere for the educational institutions to become academically highly productive, involve themselves---under the pretext of freedom of expression---in activities that thoroughly vitiate the academic atmosphere. It is also highly unfortunate that some opportunists, in the name of freedom of speech incite ideological wars (as opposed to healthy debate) in the institutes of higher learning. The sloganeering at JNU was definitely not limited to expressing differences with the administration or Government of India. The voices clearly demanded the secession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, and this ended up creating huge tensions in the academia.
This we believe amounts to attacking the functioning of the State in the name of freedom of speech. Moreover, the slogans raised by various groups reveal the ulterior motives to support anti-national activities by disrespecting our judiciary, our government, and the Office of the President of India by calling the death penalty handed to Afzal Guru (a terror convict) as ``Judicial Killing". We condemn this expression in no uncertain terms. We also strongly affirm that it is the primary duty of every Indian to respect and protect the sovereignty and integrity of India.
Finally, we make a humble submission to you to make a call to the young brilliant minds of our nation not to indulge in/ become victims of the ideological warfare and thereby waste their time, energy and national resources, but to engage in promotion of serious scholarship that would take the nation forward.
Jai Hind!
[This statement is issued in our individual capacities, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Institute.]
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List of Signatories
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