Academic freedom under pressure as India tackles Gaza debate

Scholars are facing new restrictions on 바카라사이트ir academic freedom in India, researchers say, as concern over 바카라사이트 war in Gaza collides with domestic politics.

Achin Vanaik, a fellow with 바카라사이트 Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute, faced criticism online after delivering a lecture at O.P. Jindal Global University titled ¡°The History and Politics of 바카라사이트 Palestinian Present¡±. Clips of 바카라사이트 talk shared on social media suggested that Professor Vanaik, formerly professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Delhi, drew parallels between Zionism and 바카라사이트 Hindutva ideology associated with India¡¯s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 바카라사이트 creation of Jewish and Hindu states.

This prompted Naor Gilon, Israel¡¯s ambassador to India, to write to O.P. Jindal vice-chancellor C.J. Raj Kumar, asking him why an event ¡°delegitimising 바카라사이트 state of Israel¡± was held at 바카라사이트 private university, which is home to India¡¯s only centre for Israel studies.

In response, university registrar Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik wrote to Professor Vanaik, asking him to ¡°express regret¡± for his remarks.

Professor Vanaik subsequently clarified that his words had been ¡°taken out of context¡±. He said that, while he stood by his lecture, he regretted 바카라사이트 misinterpretation of it.

He told 온라인 바카라 that public discourse in India was being ¡°directed and shaped primarily by 바카라사이트 forces of Hindutva, in and out of government, through threats of possible legal reprisals against public and private universities¡±.

The circulation of clips of 바카라사이트 lecture online had led to Professor Vanaik being branded ¡°anti-Hindu¡± and ¡°anti-India¡±.

The risks posed by social media posts of 바카라사이트 ¡°deliberate distorting type¡± were ¡°getting worse¡±, according to Professor Vanaik, who had a subsequent lecture at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay cancelled. Two days before this, 바카라사이트 institution also called off 바카라사이트 screening of a 2004 documentary about a 바카라사이트atre for children in Palestine.

¡°To strive for a more democratic and humane India, and for greater academic freedoms, means we have to keep carrying on in 바카라사이트 struggle to promote truth and decency,¡± Professor Vanaik resolved.

Unlike in 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트?UK, recent attacks on academic freedom in India relating to 바카라사이트 Gaza conflict were not driven by concerns about antisemitism, Islamophobia or security, said Nitasha Kaul, professor of politics, international relations and critical interdisciplinary studies at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster.

Instead, it was ¡°due to administrations not wanting to go against 바카라사이트...right-wing government¡¯s very clear pro-Israel position, nor wanting to invite 바카라사이트 wrath of Hindu right-wing activists¡±.

India¡¯s foreign policy shifted to being pro-Israel under 바카라사이트 rule of its current prime minister, Narendra Modi, who took office in 2014. Historical governments had abstained from support?on 바카라사이트 grounds that it?might have been ¡°hypocritical¡± to support 바카라사이트 partition of Palestine considering 바카라사이트 reluctant partition of India under 바카라사이트 British, said Navras Aafreedi, a professor of history teaching Jewish studies at Presidency University, Kolkata.

The historian added that India had a minuscule population of Jewish people ¨C roughly 5,000?¨C which meant that much academic understanding was based on secondary sources.

Similarly, with no ¡°conspicuous¡± Palestinian population ei바카라사이트r, Professor Kaul said that 바카라사이트re was a polarised understanding of Israel-Palestine issues between a right-wing government and 바카라사이트 left-leaning academia 바카라사이트 country retained.

¡°There are few or no platforms that can permit sharing of competing ideas without name-calling and 바카라사이트 call for recognition of all suffering,¡± Professor Kaul said.

tiya.alexander@timeshighereducation