Include students and remove Marxist ideas from syllabi: DUSU writes to VC

The ABVP-led Delhi University Students' Union submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor of the university on August 5 urging him to take progressive steps to revise the syllabus. They mentioned that there is a 'wide-spread anger' among the students of the university regarding the 'scandalous attempts' of including 'ideologically motivated' material in the syllabi.

The memo urged the VC — 'as the head of the DU family' — to ensure that the students get apt representation when a syllabus is designed, consider the report that they have submitted to the departments and the Oversight Committee, recognise and remove the 'heavy presence of Marxist ideological manoeuvring' from the syllabi and that the syllabus be made keeping plurality of thought in mind. They also urged the VC to address the anti-women and anti-Dalit biases in the syllabi.

The DUSU had constituted a Drafting Committee for suggestions and grievances in curriculum last month —  Student's Open Forum for Scrutiny of Undergraduate Curriculum ( SOFSUGC). The report, which the committee sent to the departments after receiving suggestions from students, has allegedly been rejected without any consideration. "We are agitated that the administration is again opting for an undemocratic way of doing things. We demanded them to include the views of all stakeholders and the elected student body did a lot to prepare an interim report inculcating views of around 10,000 students," said Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP. "We just demanded 3 R’s — Revise, Representation, Rational Debate — but they have killed the democratic spirit of the university. This is unacceptable," he added.

"We are giving this memorandum to members of the Oversight Committee. If this is not taken into consideration, we would be forced to agitate," said Sidharth. The ABVP had previously planned to protest from 1.30pm at the university on the same issue but decided to submit the memo before taking up protesting.