Back to ‘family’ at CDS – How to push false pride under the carpet! Anonymous

I went to the CDS campus today hearing of the great tumult there, news of which has been appearing off and on in the press. I was just curious. I know personally one of the SEWA ladies; she told me her version of events. The students, of  course, have been venting their ire amply. In the past few days, I have also seen many of their comments in FB which made me want to puke, partly because of the fact that the faculty members who they revile now were fawned upon just a few days back. Normal people cannot help marveling at such extraordinary ability to reverse emotions towards the same object and at the same time, land on all four emotional feet.
But more importantly, what rattled me most was the sheer idiocy of the writing — it appears that a good many of these people cannot reason from premises to conclusion, follow the elementary rules of identifying evidence and carrying out analysis, build hypotheses, distinguish arguments from assertions, and refrain from projecting one’s own petty little grouse against the authorities as the Universal Problem of All Humanity, amen! On the contrary, the SEWA lady, who is well past the prime of her youth, was cuttingly sharp in her observations. One of the presently-serving canteen staff, she told me with much pain that they had been quite like mothers to these students. Then she added, knowing that she had to back up that with evidence: “Chummathalla – not without basis, daughter! When there was the hartal, all of 48 hours, we stayed back here to cook for these kids. My children ate bread and bananas at home but since these students would have to go without food since everything would be closed, we stayed there like we were their family. And this is what they do to us!” Clearly, she knew that evidence had to be produced if any claim had to become an argument.
So the privileged research scholars of CDS are then a lot like the lowly likes of us, who struggle in Kerala’s universities: they seem generally clueless. Yes,privileged — even though the universities of Kerala are much better supported financially, not a lot trickles down to the students . And in other ways too. For example, I cannot write this in my name because it could well feed into department politics back home. But then, they also seemed equally capable of violence as any of the political . On FB, a faculty member who asked for a fair hearing of the SEWA’s version was being shouted, booed, jeered, and also asked to ‘behave’ herself! And it appears they can be viciously casteist but in an amazingly ‘careful’ way! For instance, while this upper class, elite feminist who they probably need to correct their drafts, give references and so on, was let off with relatively inane booing, one of the students did not hesitate to hint in public that the SEWA ladies could be potentially involved sexually with the head of the institution! Obvious, isn’t it?
CDS always looks so self-enclosed, so out of bounds, its students move so closely among themselves, so older students making a hesitant entry back into studies, mostly visitors to their library, are almost instantly intimidated by their self-assurance. I have overheard them moan about presentations and classes and seminars and felt thoroughly envious– they are, ah, developing their minds, while most of us studying outside are spending a lot of our time twiddling our thumbs, watching department wars and waiting for the outcomes, and generally managing to read what we can, hoping and praying that whatever we are doing will be somehow recognized as ‘research’. So the CDS students’ FB writing was indeed a revelation to me.
I reached there at noon, looking around closely, hoping to see some remnants of the protest that we ‘outsiders’ had heard of with so much awe. On FB they seemed triumphant that they had pummeled the ‘administration’ proper, scared to death the faculty and dragged their pride to the dust. But climbing up the steps that lead to the main building, I found everything as usual, quiet. Come on, I thought, the aftermath of the rebellion can’t be so peaceful! I didn’t step into the main building; it was somewhat past lunch-time, and so I thought the canteen must be the place where one might be able to see some action! So I turned and walked down the road towards the canteen, encountering on the way, a set of handmade posters on the wall — which, to my great surprise, said ‘SEWA sisters, we are not your enemies’, and generally claimed that the conflict was not between SEWA and the students, but due to some evil ‘administration’.
Now, this was a problem to me. I have had the occasion to obtain a temporary membership at the CDS library and the quickness with which it had been granted to me nearly took my breath away. Not fair, I’d thought then, having run from pillar to post to secure various papers and other documents in a university in Kerala (which nearly gave me an aversion to studies in general).But since my knowledge of the protest was largely from newspapers, I was also confused: as far as I knew, the first reports all said that the canteen service provider indulged in casteism? And reports today morning, as well as the SEWA lady’s account, both said that these students had accused SEWA and the head of the institution.So how could they suddenly turn into ‘sisters’? So what about the sexual promiscuity that the student hinted at? Or now that SEWA women have become the ‘sisters’ of these angels in human form, maybe their taint has vanished? What about the corruption charges they made on FB – do they change now that SEWA women are ‘sisters’ of the CDS students? And if the charges still hold, is it becoming to adopt the corrupt as sisters? And why on earth are they so reluctant to pay a little more, if these ladies were indeed their ‘sisters’?A journalist I know told me that the SEWA has asked for a rise of daily food price of Rs 20, which was brought down to Rs 8! Also, why were they so reluctant to hear their ‘sisters’ side and not just their ‘brother’s? And is it not a truth of all times that food served by our mothers and sisters is, verily, ambrosia?  Since they do believe in this apparently, why not show more patience? My questions were answered finally by one poster which said ‘we are not against SEWA, we are for public tendering’ [of the canteen]. So the family rhetoric is merely appeasement; it does not mean any real trust, which we are always lectured about as existing uniquely within the family!
‘Sisters’ indeed! People who couldn’t give those poor women the dignity of the worker or a place in the radical discourse of lower caste assertion, suddenly granting them unconditional entry into the metaphorical family! What sort of family, I wonder? The traditional joint family I suppose? How interesting that the champions of the democratic spirit should turn to this ancient institution! What dishonesty and such pathetic naiveté!  Did they think we would just swallow their statements whenever they gave them and in the same order? This seems to be the ultimate nauseating ploy to avoid an honest apology. The CDS canteen was perfectly fine; I have eaten lunch there several times. The food is simple, cheap, and very clean. We are allowed to self-serve the rice and some curries generously. There is good hot water and buttermilk. Of course, there is no fancy stuff, no aginomoto or whatever – but then, this is everyday food! But then false pride – that comes from being admitted into a hallowed group whose reputation is derived from the achievements of the past generations – stands in the way of making a decent apology.
I think these silly posters reveal a most infantile attitude. They point to a generation which may be top-class in economics, but rock-bottom in ethics or plain human decency!

May 10, 2013

by jdevika

This is a guest post by Anonymous

Source : kafila.org

Disciplining at Tuljapur: A First-hand Experience : Sunandan K N

From the earlier article by Hartman De Souza and comments here on recent incidents at Tata Institute of Social Science campus at Guwahati, we had a glimpse into how a Deemed University heavily funded by the UGC and by both the Central and State governments could conduct its business in totally autocratic and authoritarian ways. Even with the risk of repetition I want to share my first-hand experience at another extension counter of TISS Mumbai which is TISS Tuljapur where exactly same events unraveled six months ago.

I was a faculty for short time at TISS Tuljapur campus and I was shocked to see how easily the administration could take totally unjustifiable and undemocratic decisions and get away with it.

The TISS Tuljapur is a residential campus and it is constructed like a jail (Oh that bald French philosopher) with full security surveillance.  All students stay in hostels.  Except a barber shop there are no shops or any other amenities inside the campus. The nearest market place is 6 km away and to get there you have to depend solely on the institution’s vehicle which run on fixed times.  Students have to sign on a register whenever they go out of campus and whenever they come in.  To go out or come in you have to pass through two security gates guarded by security men hired from a private security agency.  Within the campus students are not allowed to go certain places. The reason cited is that there are snakes in those areas; everybody knows the real reason, that those are the places where students engage in dangerous activities such as: a male student talking to a female student, a female student smoking a cigarette, a group of students singing and enjoying themselves and so on. The faculty are not under such restriction, maybe because administration already considers them dispensable. There are strict rules against drinking and smoking, though nobody was ever able to impose it completely.

Soon after joining, I met the present Dean on the campus who had come with an (evangelical) mission of cleaning the campus. He wanted not only to control drinking and smoking habits among students, but also to actively curb any sort of ‘disobedience’ among them students. A group of students who were vocal, active, and intelligent became the target of Operation Clean and the Dean experimented with all forms of disciplinary mechanisms on them. Whenever a student dared to ask question or complain, she/he was labeled ‘disobedient’, included in the above group, and threatened with disciplinary action.

Once this became rampant, some of us from the faculty tried in vain to question this obsession with moral policing.  We pointed out the fact that the Director, the Dean, and most of the faculty might also have violated the rule in Maharashtra regarding alcoholic consumption which says that every individual has to take a license even for private drinking.

The issue escalated when two students (a female and a male) went out and came back to the campus probably after having some drinks (which is completely legal). They were already on the top of the Dean’s watch-list, especially the female student who always asked difficult questions to the Dean and the faculty. Since they were a little late — past curfew time (9.30 PM) — the security guard at the first gate called the warden of the hostel and the warden permitted them to enter. One of the students decided to rest / have her own time alone and so the other student proceeded alone to the second gate. The security at the second gate was already notified from the first gate that two students are coming in. When they noticed that only one student is coming, they mentioned this to the Registrar who was taking an evening walk near the gate.  He immediately ordered a search for the female student. When five security men with high beam torches came near, the student was surprised and she asked what the problem was.  The security men told her that the Registrar wanted to see her.  They walked to the Registrar and questioned her in front of the five security men. She felt that she is being intimidated by six men and so she raised her voice. The next day, the administration, aided by some students, spread the rumor that the student was lying unconscious and was heavily drunk. But the security men then confirmed that when they found her she was not unconscious and had walked half a kilometer with them easily.  She filed a sexual harassment complaint against the Registrar for intimidating and spreading rumors against her. The next week these two students were served show-cause notices asking them to show reason why they should not be expelled.

By this time, the student community had become agitated not mainly just because of this issue, but rather out of accumulated anger and disappointment. Some of the faculty pointed out that there should be some procedure before serving such notices and faculty should be consulted before taking such drastic actions.  The Director then appointed a committee which included members who were already biased against these two students.  Some of us deposed before the committee and told the members that this issue was precipitated by the moral policing-obsession of the authorities on the campus. Before the committee took any decision, three faculty members (who supported the students) were dismissed without any reason being cited!  Two of them were temporary faculty and the other was a permanent UGC faculty under probation.  It is interesting to note that two of them were part of the sexual harassment committee which would have examined the student’s complaint!

Then a group of faculty members, including me, demanded an explanation from the Dean; he claimed to have nothing to do with this and that this was the sole decision of the Director.  When we contacted the Director, he lectured to us for half an hour over through phone.  He began with these words: “I am very angry with all of you (which means ‘don’t you know you have the responsibility of making me always happy?’).  What do you think of yourself (hum.. when did start thinking that you have rights and you can make complaints) …..  I will shut down the campus if anything further happens… (I am running the shop and I will shut down it whenever I want).”  He also mentioned that if these teachers want revolution why they don’t go to villages!!! (Until that point I did not know that the Director is a Mao-sympathizer!) He warned that if any existing faculty, temporary or permanent, try to support the dismissed faculty, they too will face similar disciplinary actions.

In this conversation the Director also mentioned about the sexual harassment complaint.  He said that it was fabricated and that he knew it to be the handwork of faculty. If he knews all about it, then surely the question is whether the sexual harassment committee at TISS Mumbai forwarded the complaint to the TISS Director! In that case, this would go against the norms prescribed by the Supreme Court in the Visakha judgment. No wonder the complaint of the student was dismissed by the committee!

When the students started an online campaign for re-instating the teachers the Director sent threatening emails to them individually and informed the parents about their children’s ‘revolutionary’ activities.   At this point reputed scholars like Dr. Gopal Guru intervened and the three teachers were re-instated not at Tuljapur campus but at Mumbai campus. The two students were rusticated from the campus and were not allowed to attend the classes, but were allowed to write the examinations  Eighteen other students who were in the above mentioned group was compelled to write apology letters.
The moral of the story:

1.    The TISS director can unilaterally suspend, transfer or dismiss any employee or student at any time without showing any reason.

2.     The faculty of TISS are not able to or not bold enough to organize or protest in any manner. I have to say that most of the senior faculty at TISS who claims they are Marxist, feminist or champions of democracy and social justice did not utter a single word when all these were happening at Tuljapur.

3.    At present the Director of TISS may be an exception (or may not be) but from what we see in Delhi University and Jamia Milia it is evident that democracy, transparency or justice is not anymore the concerns of the university administration.

Source : KAfila.org

MAY 1, 2013

by jdevika

This is a guest post by SUNANDAN K N on Kafila