“It must have seemed natural to me that the close-eyed obedience of the student was a form of bhakti. Bhakti was — this scene reminds us — a critique of the idea of god and bhakti itself. The andh bhakt worships the powerful, the academic-bhakt the powerless, so that both transform into a fetish. One wants to remain Hanuman, the other lives with the belief that it’s only a matter of time that they too will become Foucault. ‘Star professor’ should be an oxymoron in the classroom; but star professors lubricate the personality cult, seemingly unaware that it is a weapon of bullying and indoctrination. Instead of conquering the classroom like Alexander, I wish that teachers stood out of students’ sunlight.”
- Sumana Roy, The Indian Express, (7/9)
“Dalits in Indian academia are always managing themselves, projecting or living up to a certain image so as to keep hasty criticism at bay. If they stray a millimetre from the socially sanctioned script, disgrace of a kind that exists solely for them befalls them. To question someone’s academic credibility is one thing, but to violate their dignity is anything but responsible criticism. Black people and Dalits are forced to hold on to whatever dignity is left with them, enduring everyday racism and casteism. They know that what routinely bypasses the social gaze will be unforgivable in their case. In societies where race and caste continue to determine the majority’s standing, we ought to be mindful of the unethical foundations of such concerns for ethical conduct. To be Black, to be a Dalit, or any kind of minority, is a costly thing in society. Even in educational institutions, many of the marginalised continue to pay with their life.”
- Irfanullah Farooqi & Suraj Gogoi, The Indian Express, (3/9)
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