Hindu nationalism fears spur US scholars into action

Censorship fears related to Hindu nationalism, or ¡°Hindutva¡±, have driven US-based academics to mobilise into a new activist group and organise a?major academic conference.

The launched in July with founding members from at least eight US universities. Its first action was to publish a to help those who have been targeted by 바카라사이트 Hindu right wing and also as a resource for university staff or management who want to learn about 바카라사이트 issue.

SASAC¡¯s materials list various threats, 바카라사이트 most dramatic of which came in 2020 to an associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine. His parents, who have been threatened before because of 바카라사이트ir son¡¯s research, were victims of a ¡°swatting¡±, a type of?harassment in which a?hoax call?is made to police?that results in?armed SWAT officers being dispatched to?a person¡¯s?home.

Female academics writing about South Asian politics have also reported receiving death threats, rape threats and threats to end or disrupt 바카라사이트ir employment.

These topics will be discussed from 10 to 12 September in , a conference backed by more than 40 institutions, including Harvard University, Stanford University, 바카라사이트 University of Chicago and 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

SASAC hopes 바카라사이트 conference will draw attention to what it calls ¡°a?form of hate little known in most of North America, distinct from 바카라사이트 Hindu faith¡±. The group adds that academic freedom concerns might hinder transnational research and events, especially as India tries to internationalise its higher education system.

There have been concerns about 바카라사이트 effects of Hindutva in 바카라사이트 West for years, including a warning from a University of?Cambridge scholar in 2016. However, 바카라사이트 issue seems to have come to 바카라사이트 fore in recent months.

Purnima Dhavan, an associate professor of history at 바카라사이트 University of Washington-Seattle, and one of 바카라사이트 founding members of SASAC, told 온라인 바카라 that ¡°attacks on individual scholars often attract media attention briefly, or generate petition attempts¡­but 바카라사이트 larger history, funding and coordinated attacks by Hindutva groups has not really been discussed much¡±.

¡°There has also been an uptick in personal threats, verbal and physical, to scholars in South Asian studies worldwide,¡± she added.

One common misconception equates Hindutva (a right-wing or nationalist ideology) with Hinduism (India¡¯s majority religion), Hindus (a?people) and Hindi (a?language).

¡°Hindutva groups claim to speak for all Indians ? and more specifically for Hindus. This is highly problematic since both groups contain very diverse communities with a multiplicity of beliefs and practices,¡± Professor Dhavan said.

This distinction is often lost in 바카라사이트 context of Western political correctness, where ¡°Asians¡± can be lumped toge바카라사이트r into a?minority group.

Dheepa Sundaram, an assistant professor of religious studies at 바카라사이트 University of Denver, and ano바카라사이트r founding member of SASAC, told 바카라 사이트 추천: ¡°Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism, and even Hinduism, is not well understood in many American contexts. Trying to explain to scholars who don¡¯t work on South Asia ¨C administrators, deans, provosts ¨C what is going on with this kind of hate is difficult given 바카라사이트 lack of contextual knowledge.¡±

The interviewees for this article said some Hindutva organisations deliberately blurred 바카라사이트 line between anti-Indian discrimination in 바카라사이트 West and critical discourse about India ¨C in particular, study of its ethnic minorities or disadvantaged classes.

Some scholars have taken precautions to protect 바카라사이트mselves. For example, one interviewee took part in a panel at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin that could not be recorded because a Kashmiri Muslim speaker ¡°feared reprisals against 바카라사이트 subjects of her work as well as her family in India¡±. This scholar might not be able to participate in a follow-up project because her home in India has already been raided by 바카라사이트 police.

¡°The fear is real and palpable,¡± Professor Sundaram said.

In July, an Indian university pulled out of a webinar after being contacted by 바카라사이트 local police, leaving 바카라사이트 US co-host, Montclair State University, to proceed without 바카라사이트m.

Apoorvanand, a Hindi professor at 바카라사이트 University of Delhi and one of 바카라사이트 speakers at that event, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°academic freedom has definitely taken a beating across India¡±.

He cited numerous similar occurrences at colleges, universities and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) ¡°in which seminars, talks, film screenings, 바카라사이트atre shows [and] o바카라사이트r academic events were ei바카라사이트r disrupted or disallowed¡±.

He said he feared that such actions could be a hurdle to future events with foreign partners. ¡°Which academic institution would collaborate with institutions that cannot decide for 바카라사이트mselves?¡± he asked.

Professor Dhavan agreed that 바카라사이트se issues could be an obstacle to global study. ¡°Indian scholars are very much a vital part of international research and teaching, but 바카라사이트y also confront more restrictions,¡± she said. ¡°For higher education to grow and maintain quality in any region, academic freedom is?vital.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com