The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has come under criticism from some of its students because of a certain guest it has invited for an event on the campus scheduled to be held tomorrow, August 27.
The guest in question is Kirtan (devotional song) performer Charudatta Aphale, who is affiliated with the Sanatan Sanstha, an organisation seeking the establishment of Hindu Nationalism in India and the objection is against his statements made allegedly in support of Nathuram Godse and the assassination of Gandhi.
In a statement, students of the institute, under the banner of “IIT Bombay for Justice” expressed concern over this affiliation, pointing at how the Sanatan Sanstha was “implicated in the murders of prominent rationalists” such as Govind Phansare and Narendra Dabholkar, as well as journalist Gauri Lankesh, which “further highlights the inappropriateness of his presence on (the) campus.”
Further, the students point out how events featuring speakers and scholars with “any political views that challenge the current regime” are cancelled and treated with stringency, while “events with clear political motives under the guise of religious or national celebrations” are permitted, which reflects the administration’s double standards.
To recall, in January this year, IIT Bombay cancelled a lecture scheduled to be delivered by English professor and cultural activist Ganesh Devy, titled “The Crisis Within: On Knowledge and Education in India”.
Before that, a talk on the Israel-Palestine conflict by Professor Achin Vanaik was cancelled by the institute, after a lecture delivered by pro-Palestine theatre personality Sudhanva Deshpande was heckled and protested against by Hindu Nationalist and pro-Israel dissidents in November last year.
“Allowing such an individual to speak on our campus sends a harmful message to students from Muslim, Dalit, and other marginalized backgrounds, undermining their sense of safety and inclusion,” the students say, adding that the event will give rise to more communal hatred and intolerance on the campus.
The students, thus, have called for the immediate revocation of Aphale's invitation and urged the administration to ensure that IIT Bombay remains a welcoming and safe environment for all students.
