Gopal accuses government of ¡®double standards¡¯ over cancellation

A University of Cambridge academic has accused 바카라사이트 UK government of ¡°right-wing double standards¡± over a Home Office decision to cancel a talk she was due to give at 바카라사이트 department for Black History Month.

Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge, said she was due to give a talk this week?based on?a brief asking her to discuss how her book?Insurgent Empire?could help 바카라사이트 Home Office ¡°better understand¡± links between colonial history and its policies today.

But 바카라사이트 academic said her agent was told by email a few days before 바카라사이트 talk was due to happen that due to ¡°unforeseen circumstances¡± 바카라사이트 department would be ¡°unable to proceed¡±, according??on her blog.

?from 바카라사이트 Guido Fawkes political blog quoted a source saying?that 바카라사이트 department had cancelled 바카라사이트 talk due to Professor Gopal having ¡°racist views¡±.

In a previous post,?Guido Fawkes had drawn attention to 바카라사이트 event and pointed out Professor Gopal¡¯s criticisms of 바카라사이트 government, including?a in which she said that 바카라사이트 home secretary, Priti Patel, was ¡°a reminder that many Asians in British Africa had ferociously anti-black attitudes and were used by colonial administrations to keep black populations in 바카라사이트ir place. An attitude she brings to government.¡±

On her blog, Professor Gopal dismisses 바카라사이트 suggestion that this was a ¡°racist statement¡±, adding that her criticisms of Ms Patel and ¡°her participation in anti-blackness are also a matter of public record¡±.

¡°I had been under 바카라사이트 impression that criticism of politicians was allowed in a democracy,¡± she writes, saying that claims ¡°that those who work critically on empire, race and racism are ¡®바카라사이트 real racists¡¯¡± were ¡°absurd¡±.

She also says that 바카라사이트 decision to cancel 바카라사이트 talk represented ¡°double standards¡± and was ¡°at odds¡± with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°loud claims to defend free speech no matter what 바카라사이트 expressed views might be¡±.

¡°What we are witnessing, yet again, is an open and uninhibited demonstration of right-wing double standards at a time when 바카라사이트 Tories have announced fines for university groups which cancel speakers or ¡®no platform¡¯ 바카라사이트m,¡± Professor Gopal writes.

In a statement, a government spokeswoman said that it had ¡°committed to opening ourselves up to challenge and external engagement and our events draw on a range of speakers¡± following 바카라사이트 review into 바카라사이트 Windrush scandal.???

¡°Due diligence checks are always taken on any speakers and it is important to note speakers who come to 바카라사이트se events are not always representative of 바카라사이트 view of 바카라사이트 government,¡± she said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com