Author: Dr. Bal Ram Singh
Publication: Myind.net
Date: February 11, 2016
URL:   https://www.myind.net/leftist-plot-vitiate-academic-atmosphere-and-malign-nation

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is again in news for the wrong reason! This time an extremist group of leftist students are bent upon celebrating Afzal Guru as a martyr on the campus. Their anti-India slogans and intellectual vulgarity displayed is shameful. This is what happens when a society takes wrong track on every hue and cry these professional leftists make, by giving them benefit of the doubt on issues like the sad suicide death of Rohith Vemula of Hyderabad University. The leftists were allowed to get away with murder and hijacking of the death of a young man for their political purpose.

This approach does not reflect any philosophy but a tactics to drown the sound of truth and fairness. As I had written earlier (https://www.myind.net/jnu-students%E2%80%99-union-gags-baba-ramdev-shocking-intolerance-diversity-views) the leftist students are bringing bad name to a good university by extremist actions like blocking personalities like Baba Ramdev from entering the campus. Mark my words, these actions are not by any group of intellectually inspired students. These are the actions inspired by mean spirited politicians who have lost mass public appeal, and are supported by a few faculty members holding extreme views.

To elaborate my personal experience with this fringe group I narrate a personal experience. Last year I spent a semester as a Visiting Professor at JNU teaching a course on Science and Technology in Sanskrit. As I arrived on the campus in early January of 2015 I was invited to a panel discussion that was organized on January 30, 2015, by the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) on “The True Facts about us: India between History, Science and Myths”. The organizer was Dr. Ashish Agnihotri, one of the joint secretaries of JNUTA, and fellow panelists included Prof. Dhruv Raina, JNU; Prof. Ram Nath Jha, JNU; Prof. Vipin Kumar Tripathi, IIT; and Prof. Arun Kumar, the President of JNUTA (Moderator).

This panel discussion was apparently organized in reaction to the statements of Prime Minister Modi on the advanced surgical technologies that existed in India to replace the head of Lord Ganesh after it was severed by his father, Lord Shiva. Also, he had apparently mentioned at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi that Indian scientists should investigate aura that is created with the practice of yoga. Leftists in JNU, and other intellectuals as well, were livid at this, and justifiably so even if only to a certain degree.

JNU has a true national outlook in India for the courses it offers, faculty outreach, political activities, and student population, and being located in Delhi makes it more relevant. Government ministers and major political leaders are common visitors to the campus on a weekly basis. So, JNU faculty still feel obligated to take up issues with what they consider as the right wing government at the Center.

As the lead presenter my position was that the Prime Minister is a politician duly elected by the people, and makes his remarks as a politician. We as academicians must learn to realize and respect that, without being swayed by such statements. If it is a scientific question I as a scientist would assert my scientific methodology, data, and interpretation. By raising this chorus that no science exists in India’s traditions Indian academics and intellectuals give free hand to rest of the world to patent many of the ideas in Ayurveda and related sciences. Citing my own current research on bhasma and its potential for medical formulations I tried to raise the points that there were many science, technology, and math concepts in ancient texts which could advance modern science for public good.

Professor Ram Nath Jha brought out several interesting examples of scientific concepts in his area of research in Yoga and Vaiseshika philosophy. Other presenters, particularly Professor Dhruva and Professor Kumar launched into a sophisticated arguments of science definition, Western scholarship, and implications of mixing religious texts with science imply the crude nature of claims by the current ruling class. These arguments were intense but not substantial, and it was certainly felt that statements from politicians were no threat to the scientific and historical accounts of India’s past.

In fact, several scientists in the audience, including Professors Ramesh Bamezai, Pramod Yadav, and Baisnab Tripathi, took to the podium, and asserted that they didn’t see any problem in deriving ideas from the ancient texts if such ideas can be proven through modern scientific means.

On the other extreme, there was Professor Ayesha Kidwai, a faculty in School of Languages, who stood up and declared that the Prime Minister’s statements restricted her academic freedom. Interestingly, after making this statement she proceeded out of the venue, without waiting to hear what the panel may have to say in response to her statement.

Interestingly, Dr. Ashish Agnihotri came to a seminar presentation of mine later at the School of Life Sciences, and remarked in passing that several attendees of the panel discussion earlier were disappointed with having too many scientists speak at the panel that spoiled the fun. This just goes to a long way to point out how non-scientists would have loved to feast on each other’s speculative ideas had there not been participation of practicing scientists.

This is the state of affairs of a faculty forum, where a minority of faculty generally hijack the discourse into petty squabbles. The faculty rather than conducting scholarly work and intellectual classroom discourse find it convenient to instigate students into slogan shouting to create an atmosphere of chaos in the country through campus protests or silly events such as beef festival and Shaheed Afzal Guru Celebrations.

Sadly, this is nothing new. In circa late December 1981 or early January 1982 I happened to have a long conversation with the then Vice Chancellor of JNU, Professor Y. Nayudamma, who told me in detail how problems in JNU were created by the teachers rather than students. He was talking to me to explain why he did not approve the recommendation of my rustication from the university when I as JNU Student Union Convener of the School of Life Sciences had launched an agitation against administration action against a fellow student.