If Doctors turn Criminals? If criminals become doctors?

The incident in which a five-day-old female baby died at a government hospital in Jalandhar district of Punjab after she was taken out of the incubator, apparently because her father could not afford the fee of Rs 200 is totally atrocious and inhumane. It invites our wrath when a physician who has taken the Hippocratic oath that he will “fulfill according to his ability and judgment this oath and this covenant...he will apply...(treatment) for the benefit of the sick according to his ability and judgment; he will keep them from harm and injustice,” has done this serious crime.  

Throughout our history, medical institutions have largely been charitable, nonprofit establishments existing primarily to serve the community. This incident has proved the deterioration and decay of public health care system in India. The government has a moral obligation to meet the basic needs of all of its members. Every Indian, rich or poor, should have access to free health care he or she needs. Despite mushrooming of sophisticated state of the art hospitals in cities serving the rich, thousands of rural India's poor patients have to depend upon government hospitals when they desperately need health care. This heart breaking incident carries the message that there is an urgent need to strengthen the public health care system in India so that deprived sections of the society could have greater access to medical aid in time.

The virtues of caring, compassion, and charity, and a sense of community have been perpetuated by good physicians whose primary concern has been the alleviation of human suffering and the restoration of health. We must not allow such important and fragile virtues and ideals to be extinguished by the self-interest that drives responsible doctors to kill an innocent life. We must not allow the motive of economic gain to enter so directly into the practice of medicine, placing the well-being of patients in serious jeopardy, and undermining the trust so essential to the physician-patient relationship.

For your reading the report appeared in The Hindu -27-07-2012

Newborn dies as father couldn’t pay Rs. 200 for incubator

The father of the premature baby could not pay for the incubator

A five-day-old baby girl died at the government-run Civil Hospital at Jalandhar as the staff stopped treatment when her father could not pay Rs. 200 charged for use of an incubator.

The incident came to light when Sanjeev Kumar, a daily wage painter, and his wife Anita accused the staff of “killing” the baby born prematurely in the hospital on July 20. The child required extra medical assistance as it developed complications, including jaundice, immediately after birth.

On Wednesday, the staff asked Sanjeev to deposit Rs. 200 for running the incubator. But he was not able to arrange for the money.

Apparently, the staff withdrew all treatment and handed over the baby to the mother, who pleaded for some more time. Within hours, the condition of the baby deteriorated and it died in the arms of its hapless mother. When the shocking incident came under media spotlight, local health authorities went into overdrive to shift blame. Witnesses said some hospital officials tried to argue that a written request was necessary from the child’s parents to allow use of the incubator. Sanjeev, who is not a literate, was not aware of such regulations.

Finally, the Chief Minister took “cognisance” of the situation and ordered a fast track inquiry into the incident.

On Viswa Bharati Incident: My Letter to the Hindu dated 12-07-2012

The Viswa Bharati incident is a wake-up call for policymakers to introduce a strong law that protects children from all kinds of violence. The horrible and disgusting incident has stressed the need to treat corporal punishment, a brutal method of enforcing discipline, as a criminal offence. It comes in the way of children’s development. It is a shame that children of our nation, which propagates non-violence, are often disciplined with the rod.

In response to The Hindu Report dated 09-07-2012

Santiniketan hostel warden arrested, released on bailA court in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to the warden of a hostel of Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan after she was arrested for allegedly forcing a class V student of Patha Bhavan to drink her own urine as punishment for wetting her bed.


The court condemned the incident and criticised the police for booking the accused under bailable charges. It also asked why the accused was not booked under the Juvenile Justice Act. It directed that the warden bear the medical expenses of the girl student who fell ill after the incident on Saturday.

The parents had lodged a complaint against Uma Poddar, the warden of Karabi Hostel of Patha Bhavan, alleging that she had cruelly punished their daughter after she wet her bed on Saturday.

“The warden was arrested on Monday morning following a complaint by the parents of the student. She was produced before a court and was later granted bail,” Rishikesh Meena, Superintendent of Police said.

Ms. Poddar was booked under sections 341, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for wrongful detention and negligent and malignant acts likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. All the sections are bailable.

A complaint was also lodged against the parents by the University authorities for allegedly attacking the warden. They were also arrested and later granted bail during the day.

Meanwhile, the University authorities claimed that the child was not asked to drink her urine but lick the wet mattress of her bed.

“The warden told the student so only to terrify her. Moreover, it is a kind of superstitious practice aimed at curing bedwetting. We, however, do not endorse it,” Vice Chancellor of the University Sushanta Dutta Gupta said.

Ms. Poddar has been removed from active duty. Asked about the arrest of the parents, the university authorities said they had only informed the police about the attack on the warden. It was the police who took follow-up action.

In a related development, a group of lawyers filed a Public Interest Litigation petition at the Calcutta High Court seeking action against those who had violated the rules framed by the Court on corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment should go!!

What punishment for corporal punishment?

A hostel warden at Visva Bharati University in West Bengal who forced a young girl student to drink her own urine as a punishment for bedwetting is a national shame. This incident is a wake-up call for policymakers to introduce a strong legislation that protects children from all sorts of violence. This horrible and disgusting incident has stressed the need to treat corporal punishment as a criminal offence with severe punishment for the teacher as well as the institution. It is ironical that in a nation with laws to prevent different types of cruelty against animals, the Police don’t find any legislation to protect our children whom we call our future. Had the police booked the warden under the Juvenile Justice Act, then she would have been arrested and put behind bars for five years. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is now tasked with protecting the rights of the affected child by monitoring and enquiring into grievances or complaints of violation of child rights and initiate action without waiting for some more similar incidents to finally wake up to a realisation.

Corporal punishment is a brutal method of ascertaining discipline and has major reactive effects on the physical and mental health of the inflicted. The prevalence of corporal punishment in schools and all other settings as a social norm goes on unquestioningly causing untold harm to children. Punishment in any form in school comes in the way of the development of the full potential of children. Corporal punishment leads to adverse physical, psychological and educational outcomes including increased aggressive and disruptive behaviour in the classroom, school phobia, low self esteem, anxiety, suicide and retaliation against teachers that emotionally scar the children for life. Does not the police know that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which has come into force with effect from 1 April 2010, prohibits ‘physical punishment’ and ‘mental harassment’ under Section 17(1) and makes it a punishable offence under Section 17(2).

It is a shame that children in our nation, which propagates non-violence, were often disciplined with the rod. If the educational institutions and the society want children to become silent recipients of violence in their tender years, then these punishments will hamper their physical and mental wellbeing in future. It is high time the government should ensure that children are not subjected to corporal punishment and they receive education in an environment of freedom and dignity, free from fear.

For your reading, the news report that appeared in The Hindu (09-07-2012)

Santiniketan hostel warden arrested, released on bail

Warden Uma Poddar, arrested for imposing a cruel punishment on a 10-year-old hostel girl for bedwetting, being produced in a court in Bolpur in Birbhum district on Monday. Photo: PTI

A court in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to the warden of a hostel of Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan after she was arrested for allegedly forcing a class V student of Patha Bhavan to drink her own urine as punishment for wetting her bed.

The court condemned the incident and criticised the police for booking the accused under bailable charges. It also asked why the accused was not booked under the Juvenile Justice Act. It directed that the warden bear the medical expenses of the girl student who fell ill after the incident on Saturday.

The parents had lodged a complaint against Uma Poddar, the warden of Karabi Hostel of Patha Bhavan, alleging that she had cruelly punished their daughter after she wet her bed on Saturday.

“The warden was arrested on Monday morning following a complaint by the parents of the student. She was produced before a court and was later granted bail,” Rishikesh Meena, Superintendent of Police said.

Ms. Poddar was booked under sections 341, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for wrongful detention and negligent and malignant acts likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. All the sections are bailable.

A complaint was also lodged against the parents by the University authorities for allegedly attacking the warden. They were also arrested and later granted bail during the day.

Meanwhile, the University authorities claimed that the child was not asked to drink her urine but lick the wet mattress of her bed.

“The warden told the student so only to terrify her. Moreover, it is a kind of superstitious practice aimed at curing bedwetting. We, however, do not endorse it,” Vice Chancellor of the University Sushanta Dutta Gupta said.

Ms. Poddar has been removed from active duty. Asked about the arrest of the parents, the university authorities said they had only informed the police about the attack on the warden. It was the police who took follow-up action.

In a related development, a group of lawyers filed a Public Interest Litigation petition at the Calcutta High Court seeking action against those who had violated the rules framed by the Court on corporal punishment.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Battling bias

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Battling bias

Universities' bias towards reservation

Almost all the elite educational centres including central universities keep SC/ST vacancies vacant for a long time and often try to convert the vacancies into open posts by notifying for three times and not selecting anyone citing that no suitable candidate was present. BHU tops the list of universities that didnt fill SC/ST posts. Shame on universities which uphold Varnashrama in the academic circles. The academia is growing casteist day by day!! Where is the dawn?

Half of SC/ST teaching posts unfilled in Central varsities

In the filled slots, SCs constitute just 12% against the stipulated 15% and STs 5% instead of 7.5%

Among the ills that plague the Indian higher education system is the continued poor stake of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in it. Year on year, the huge backlog of vacancies in teaching positions in SC/ST categories remains a constant concern with little change in its position.

Nearly half the teaching positions for SCs and STs in Central Universities are still unfilled. According to the data provided by the government of India in December 2011 to a Right to Information query by Lucknow-based activist Mahendra Pratap Singh, 48.5 per cent of posts in these two categories in 24 Central varsities were vacant during 2010-2011. The stipulated quota for SCs and STs in Central institutions is 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively.

For the year, 2010-211, the total backlog in SC category at the entry-level position of Lecturer was 341 out of 740 required posts. Thus, 46 per cent of these posts were unfilled. In the ST category, 197 or 53 per cent of posts were vacant out of the required posts of 369.

Under-representation

The huge gap points to the under-representation of these marginalised communities in educational institutions. The SCs constitute 12 per cent of the total filled positions in Central Universities and STs constitute five per cent of the filled posts.

Climbing up to the prestigious ranks of Reader and Professor, their share gets alarmingly dismal. Over 84 per cent of posts for Readers in the SC-ST category were vacant in 2010-2011. And, over 92 per cent Professor’s positions in these categories are vacant.

The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has consistently had the poorest record of clearing the backlog. There was a whopping 59.7 per cent of SC and ST vacancies in lecturer positions itself in 2010-2011.

A BHU source confirmed the situation remained the same in 2012 as well, since the University had not undertaken a recruitment drive in the past few months to clear this backlog.

In fact, the current position is as bad if not worse, compared to previous years. As per the 2007-08 figures, obtained by The Hindu under RTI, SC-ST vacancy in BHU for the lecturer position was at 52 per cent.

“The problem,” remarked Subhash Lakhotia, Professor Emeritus at BHU, “is that candidates are often not found suitable.” — a reason cited across the board for poor implementation of the reservation policy.

“The university has to consider certain minimal requirement. Many teaching positions are for specialised candidates. The quality of degrees our education system gives is not [of a very high standard]. So, although candidates meet the eligibility criteria, they are not found suitable. A large number of open posts are also vacant,” Mr. Lakhotia told The Hindu on the phone.

“The fallacy lies in the system. The graduates coming out today are unemployable,” he pointed out.

The overall concerns over standards notwithstanding, the approach to implementation of reservation is complicated by a notional linking of the reservation policy with impoverishment of “quality” of education.

“I would not like reservation anywhere. Higher education is about quality. The government says launch a special drive to fill posts; it is in their interest. But in the process you lose out on quality,” remarked Mr. Lakhotia.

“Reservation has made things worse,” remarked a source from BHU. “You don’t get quality people. SC/ST candidates are competent. The ones from Maharashtra and the northeast are good. Tezpur University is doing very well. That’s because their graduates return to their native place.”

Another reason cited by BHU was the increase in the retirement age to 65 years (as per 2006 UGC recommendations). “For some years, no one retired and then there were mass retirements creating a sudden vacancy. In Banaras, availability of housing and other facilities is a major problem. So no one wants to take up jobs here,” an official remarked.

Making matters worse, the quota policy itself is looked upon as a benevolent act towards the lower sections, rather than an affirmative and necessary provision to ensure the fair share of SCs and STs in education, long denied due to the caste system.

“Let me point out,” said a BHU professor in a letter to the BHU Vice-Chancellor, obtained through RTI by Mr. Singh, “that we are aware of our social responsibilities and compulsions which implies some reservation to be done for [the] weaker section.”

Arguing for “phased reservation,” he wrote that the university must ensure that “the weaker sections get advantage at the entry level through phased reservation, but at the same time the academic profile/glamour/reputation of the university remains intact.”

‘Centre of excellence’

One argument put forth by the BHU is also that it is considered a “centre of excellence.” Therefore, it should be excluded from the reservation policy.

Dr. Vikas Gupta from the Delhi University said that filling posts roster-wise would help ease the backlog. That entailed marking posts in departments as per each category and so on.

“Roster implementation takes care of many of the [gaps] in filling reserved posts. Every department has to maintain a roster of posts to ensure full reservation and avoid manipulation. Rosters should be made public by all universities.”

According to Mr. Gupta, earlier universities in their advertisements would mention only the number of reserved posts without specifying which post was for which community — SC/ST/OBC. So, a candidate did not know which post she/he was applying for.

This way, universities “got the free ground to keep people confused.” Everyone is applying for everything. After the interview, the decision is made [on selection for a particular department post]. “This is unfair. This is how it is manipulated,” Mr. Gupta said.

He remarked the situation was changing with universities going in for the roster system.

Despite, repeated attempts, the University Grants Commission did not respond to The Hindu’s queries on the issue.

The Hindu : News / National : Half of SC/ST teaching posts unfilled in Central varsities

The Hindu : News / National : Half of SC/ST teaching posts unfilled in Central varsities

National Shame

My Letter to The Hindu dated 04-07-2012

The article “Farm suicides rise in Maharashtra, State still leads the list” (July 3) exposes the deepening crisis in the agriculture sector. For an agricultural economy like India, the grim fact that the number of farm suicides since 1995 has touched 2,70, 940 is a national shame, and a cause for deep worry and introspection. The government has failed to respond to the tragedies in farmers’ families. Farm lands are forcefully appropriated for promoting real estate, aggravating the food and livelihood crisis. A rapid increase in indebtedness, ever-increasing costs of production and the falling prices of farm commodities are the root causes of farmers taking their lives.

The government should take the responsibility of liberating the debt-ridden farmers from the vicious trap of moneylenders. More important, farmers should shift to organic and traditional farming, failing which the nexus between seed corporations and private moneylenders will deprive them of their livelihood.

In response to the Open Editorial Article ‘Farm suicides rise in Maharashtra, State still leads the list’ by Sainath [03-07-2012]

With a figure of at least 14,027 in 2011, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the total number of farm suicides since 1995 has touched 2,70, 940. The State of Maharashtra shows a rise in numbers yet again, logging 3,337 against 3,141 farmers’ suicides the previous year (and 2,872 in 2009). This, despite heavy massaging of data at the State level for years now, even re-defining of the term “farmer” itself. And despite an orchestrated (and expensive) campaign in the media and other forums by governments and major seed corporations to show that their efforts had made things a lot better. Maharashtra remains the worst single State for farm suicides for over a decade now.

The total number of farmers who have taken their own lives in Maharashtra since 1995 is closing in on 54,000. Of these 33,752 have occurred in nine years since 2003, at an annual average of 3,750. The figure for 1995-2002 was 20,066 at an average of 2,508. Significantly, the rise is occurring even as the farm population is shrinking a fact broadly true across the country. And more so in Maharashtra which has been urbanising more rapidly than most. The rising-suicides-shrinking-population equation suggests a major intensification of the pressures on the community. A better understanding of that, though, awaits the new farm population figures of the 2011 Census — not expected for many months from now. At present both national and State-wise farm suicide ratios (the number of farmers committing suicide per 100,000 farmers) are based on very outdated 2001 Census numbers.

Big five States

The 2011 total gets dicey with Chhattisgarh’s posting a figure of zero farm suicides. A zero figure should be great news. Except that Chhattisgarh had 7,777 farm suicides in the preceding five years, including 1,126 in 2010. It has been amongst the very worst States for such deaths for several years. The share of the worst (Big 5) states (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh) as a percentage of total farm suicides, is now around 64 per cent. Even with Chhattisgarh showing a ‘zero’ figure, that is not much lower than the preceding five-year average for the Big 5 of close to 66 per cent. It could be that Chhattisgarh’s figures have simply not made it to the NCRB in time. Otherwise, it means that the State is in fact a late entrant to the numbers massage parlour. Others have been doing it for years. Maharashtra since 2007, following the Prime Minister’s visit to Vidarbha. Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar has strictly avoided using NCRB farm data in Parliament since 2008 because the data are unpleasant. (The union government however quotes the NCRB for all other categories). Now, governments are deep into fiddling the data that goes from the States to the NCRB.

With the Big 5 also staring drought in the face, what numbers the coming season will throw up is most worrying. Within Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada have already been under great stress (which in turn pushes officials to step up data fiddles). If the numbers are re-calculated using the annual average of Chhattisgarh in the past five years, the national total of farm suicides for 2011 would be 15,582. And the share of the Big 5 (at 10,524) would be nearly 68 per cent. That’s higher than the five-year average for those States, too. In 1995, the first time the NCRB tabulated farm suicide data, the Big 5 accounted for 56.04 per cent of all farm suicides.

In 2011, five States showed increases of over 50 farm suicides compared to 2010. These included Gujarat (55), Haryana (87), Madhya Pradesh (89), Tamil Nadu (82). Maharashtra alone showed a rise of 196. Nine States showed declines exceeding 50 farm suicides, of which Karnataka (485) and Andhra Pradesh (319) and West Bengal (186) claimed the biggest falls. That, of course, after Chhattisgarh, which claimed a decline of 1,126, with its zero farm suicides figure in 2011.

Don’t bow down to religious fanatics!!!

In the case of Ambedkar cartoon, the inclusion of that cartoon injures the already stigmatized community by maligning the savior of the community. In a period of assertion of identities, we should not tolerate distortion of history in the name of cartoon or illustrations. Hence we asked for its removal. But in the case of the exclusion of ‘Andal’ story from the syllabus of MSU, the academia is yielding to the perceived threats of right wing extremist groups. The incident of dropping the Short story ‘Andal’ by D.Selvaraj from the syllabus of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, surrendering academic freedom in the face of right-wing political pressure, was against the very spirit of secularism which promotes space to distinct ways of thought and ideologies. Deleting the short story of D.Selvaraj, a socially committed Tamil writer whose novels mostly discuss Dalit issues, peasant struggles, plight of tea plantation workers etc is an act that is deeply disturbing, an instance of academic policing. Such a knee-jerk measure will only encourage sectarian politics and deny a space that allows a free exchange of ideas, and helps shape critical minds.

Tamil culture possesses a long-standing fable tradition with anthropomorphised gods and deities as characters that can stand as commonly recognized types of human behavior. As part of that tradition of pouring in modern insights into classical religious myths, the Short story ‘Andal’ shows a fluidity of the Dravidian style of interpreting religious myths in a folklorist way. Indeed, Periyar EVR has written many interesting tales about the religious myths which no fundamentalist can digest. It is very regressive and unfortunate that M.S University has withdrawn the short story from its curriculum following the footsteps of Delhi University which removed A K Ramanujan's essay 'Three Hundred Ramayanas' and Mumbai University which removed Rohinton Mistry's novel 'Such a Long Journey.’ It is the duty of the University to disseminate the true knowledge and diversity to the students rather than succumbing to outside forces, both political and social. Looking at the larger context, it hardly comes as a shock that the administration has arbitrarily removed D.Selvaraj’s ‘Andal’ by giving up all values of liberalism, secularism and democracy.

The university’s decision to scrap the short story was an instance of a secular institution buckling under the pressure of right wing organisations. This proves that the academic space has become very vulnerable today posing a great threat to academic freedom, creativity and critical acumen. The more the university bans intellectual creativity, the more it becomes a breeding ground for alliterates. It is a shame that in a pluralist nation, a secular university has reached such a pass that it has to think on what to include so as not to generate controversy. As an alumnus of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and an academician, I strongly believe that every act which is inimical to the open exchange of ideas must be resisted by the academic community.

For your reading the new brief “Varsity denies maligning Andal in Tamil syllabus” [The Hindu 28-06-2012]

The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University has categorically denied media reports that the curriculum for first semester Tamil language contained a short story maligning Andal, the poet-saint of Srivilliputtur, and that it was removed following opposition from various quarters.

Andal, the only woman poet among the 12 Alwars, composers of Vaishnavite devotional poetry, is revered as a saint and worshipped as a deity in Vaishnavite temples.

A report on Monday alleged that ‘Nonbu,’ a collection of short stories, which was approved by the Board of Studies , had offensive and sacrilegious remarks against Andal. Even as various organisations started warning that they would go on an protest, the MSU authorities received a large number of e-mails condemning the university “for including controversial information” about Andal in the syllabus.

A senior faculty member of the MSU said the Board of Tamil Studies, which met here recently to finalise the curriculum for first semester Tamil Language, decided to include writer D. Selvaraj’s ‘Nonbu’, a compilation of 14 short stories, including a story on Andal, published by New Century Book House (NCBH) seven years ago. After a couple of members expressed reservations over the inclusion of ‘Andal’ in the curriculum owing to certain views expressed in the story, it was decided to include ‘Saraswathi’ in its place.

Since the Board of Studies had to seek permission from the publisher for replacing ‘Andal’ with ‘Saraswathi,’ a formal letter was sent to NCBH and the publisher accepted the proposal. Now, the curriculum does not contain ‘Andal’ and, in its place, ‘Saraswathi’ has been included.

“Against this backdrop, rumours are being spread with ulterior motive that the MSU curriculum had maligned ‘Andal’ by including a controversial story in the syllabus,” the faculty member said.

Ten copies with the story of ‘Saraswathi’ had been printed and one copy was recently sent to the Chairman of MSU Conveners’ Committee and Law Secretary G. Jayachandarn. “He is satisfied with the content of the curriculum as there is no reference in any place maligning Andal,” said the faculty member.

Endorsing the faculty member’s views, Registrar S. Manickam said ‘Nonbu’ was not published by the MSU and instead, it had included it as a portion of the syllabus after obtaining permission from the NCBH.

Cartoon on Ambedkar and Anti-Hindi agitation should go!!

It is a rare event that captures the attention of the nation for any extended period of time. Usually, it takes a communal riot, the inhuman face of the Gujarat Pogrom or a trivial video of Godman Nithyanandha allegedly romancing with actress Ranjitha to focus the better part of India’s elite circles onto a single event for more than a passing second. It is strange to think then, that a satanic or silly cartoon of Dr.Ambedkar would ignite a storm of controversy encompassing the majority of the intellectuals for the past few months.

Unfortunately, the NCERT chose to include this particularly inflammatory cartoon of Ambedkar being whipped by Nehru for the snail’s pace in the making of Indian constitution.  Debating the merit of the cartoon doesn’t work as the cartoon is based on an offensive stereotype. It might seem hypocritical for the NCERT to withdraw the cartoon from the text book, but it has a responsibility to raise debate — not become debate. In today's world of instant global communication, disagreements happen more quickly and resentments get established in real time.

It’s easy for the elites and upper caste intellectuals to say the furore over this cartoon is an overreaction, and that “it’s just a cartoon.” Some elite academicians complain that a cartoon which no Dalit in the past 60 years found offending has suddenly become disparaging to a few. It is true that Dalits remained ignorant for generations together as they were denied of all the educational avenues. Now, thanks to the Ambedkarite movement, they have started questioning the injustices meted out to them in the distant and recent past. Does the mainstream society still want them to face humiliation and keep silence. When the upper caste cry for justice they call it revolution and the cry of Dalits will be viewed as a sign of intolerance. Gandhi who stood for upholding the Varnashrama Dharma as the lifeblood of Hinduism thereby indirectly favouring the caste system and suppressing the Dalits is projected as the ‘Father of the Nation’ and progenitor of ‘Ahimsa.’ But the same textbook committee doesn’t dare to project Ambedkar as a national leader but only as a Dalit leader. Ambedkar, as the elite academicians point out, would have had the intellect and wisdom to appreciate and enjoy caricatures that lampooned him, but then the question is why not caricatures of other leaders. Will the same responsible academicians publish, for example, a cartoon of Shankar lampooning Gandhi as a protector of Varnashrama Dharma which appeared in the Hindustan Times in 1933? When everyone else disowns Ambedkar and prevents Dalits also from protecting his image, who else will come for his rescue.

Dalits everywhere are incensed by the publication of the cartoon deriding Ambedkar. Freedom of expression may at times be curtailed to avoid caste-based hatred. Dalit intellectuals, although deeply insulted by the cartoons, are no doubt embarrassed by their emotional brothers who are using the situation to attack the office of an academician like Suhash Palshikar. Dalits who rioted were not upset that they were forced to view a cartoon they found offensive; they were upset that the cartoon was printed in a class XI text book. This isn’t a case where one can say if you don’t like it, turn the channel or read another newspaper because Dalits sought the total elimination of such a cartoon, not merely the ability to ignore them. Other academicians supported the cartoon, arguing that academic textbooks should be immune from criticism. It is ironic that the intellectuals who speak out against intolerance on the part of the Dalit politicians are often the most intolerant in their views.

Academic books rarely cause riots in the streets, but the Ambedkar cartoon controversy may come close. At least this is the conclusion reached by the Centre, which considered the likelihood of violent protests by Dalits across the nation before making the decision to withdraw the negative cartoon images of Ambedkar from the Class XI text book.   The issue faded when the centre decided to remove the cartoon from the book. Yet, the centre seemed to have withdrawn the cartoon not based on malicious content but because of the risk of facing violent protests by the Dalits and the fear of losing Dalit vote bank.

The cautious reaction by Kapil Sibal is understandable, but I find the rationale troubling, as it assumes that Dalit politicians like Athavale or Thirumavalavan await any new pretext to spur violence and that the other major political parties are at their mercy for the votebank. The peddlers of anti-Dalit ideologies, the so-called ‘objective’ intellectuals, and blogs of elites would have us believe that Dalit leaders are lurking everywhere just waiting for an excuse to promote violence.

If the NCERT wants to use humour, it can make sure the humour is tasteful, healthy and appropriate rather than disrespectful, insulting, obnoxious and nasty.  The cartoon angered Dalits because the inclusion of such a cartoon is seen as a deliberate attempt to denigrate the messiah of dalits. I view the Centre’s decision to withdraw the cartoon as pragmatic, following the advice they sought, rather than cowardice or giving into political correctness. The main problem is not over the cartoon—whether viewed as satanic or silly—but with the question of implicitly inserting a conspicuous cartoon in a XI standard textbook. We have more to teach about the making of the constitution and the achievements and ordeals of Ambedkar than anything from the outdated cartoon.

Had the cartoon been published in newspapers, magazines or any other media, none bothers. Every Dalit objects because the degrading cartoon of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar finds a place in a class XI text book. As a teacher of many years, I wonder how many students will even notice the content of the lesson “The Making of the Indian Constitution” but they will be easily carried away by the force of the cartoon. Ambedkar himself cited the time taken for preparing the constitution in other nations:

The American convention met on May 25, 1787, and the constitution was passed in four months. The constitutional convention of Canada met on the October 10, 1864, and the constitution was passed into law in March 1867 involving a period of two years and five months. The Australian Constitutional Convention assembled in March 1891 and the constitution became law on July 9, 1900, consuming a period of nine years. The South African convention met in October 1908 and the Constitution became law, on the September 20, 1909 involving one year’s labour.

While admitting that India has taken more time than America and South Africa he pointed, “Our Constitution contains 395 articles while America has just seven articles divided into sections which total up to 21. The Canadian has 147, Australian 128, and South African 153 sections.” Unlike us these countries did not have to face the problems of amendments. They were passed as moved. Whereas, our Constitution assembly had to deal with 2,473 amendments.

The moral injury experienced by Dalits from publication of the objectionable cartoon is intelligible only once one understands the relationship of intimacy that Dalits have with Ambedkar. To see this, however, requires adopting an internal perspective on how Ambedkar is regarded as a kind of messiah, and more as an object of veneration than worship. The cartoon is viewed not as defaming Ambedkar but rather as defaming or rising to the level of stirring up hatred against the disadvantaged sections-the Dalits. If we look at the past, one can easily retrospect and understand how Dalits protested violently whenever Ambedkar’s statue was desecrated by Caste Hindu miscreants.  We need to consider what this cartoon may mean for a Dalit in a time when visible manifestations of hate and incitement to hatred are essentially contested. There is a great need to redefine what we call freedom of expression and make clear that our most basic freedom: to articulate critical opinions freely should not curtail our sense of respect and dignity.

By inserting a cartoon on the anti-Hindi agitation in a textbook, NCERT has again overstepped the thin veneer of respecting people’s sentiments. The depiction of the anti-Hindi agitators as aliterates when it comes to English is unwarranted and distorts the very spirit of the anti-Hindi movement in Tamilnadu. NCERT is so biased that it interpolates no cartoons critical of caste oppression and Hindi imposition in the textbooks. If undermining the greatness of the ‘prophet of the Dalits’ was the motive behind the reproduction of the cartoon on BR Ambedkar, the inclusion of the cartoon is intended to downgrade the anti-Hindi agitation from one of the major movements in post-Independent India to a mere stir by semi-literates.

However, the price of a society that allows free speech, so long as it does not directly incite violence, is that a few hatred-peddlers will get a platform. If all we see in the normative claims of Dalits are threats to academic autonomy, however, the debate will remain at its current impasse. Whatever said and done, the Committee headed by Thorat has decided to remove ten objectionable cartoons from the NCERT text books. It is a good sign that the government appointed committee has understood the feelings and apprehensions of Dalits and the Tamils.