Thiruvananthapuram: Intellectual freedom should not be sacrificed in the political altar of the party and with “stupid” belief that ignorance of someone’s ideas will help defeat them, said the leader of the Senior Congress Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday.
His statement was in real support from Kannur University’s decision to include the parts of the RSS M S Golwar and Hindu Mahasabha Leader V d Savarkar in postgraduate courses on governance and politics.
Varsity’s decision has attracted criticism from various unions, who have accused the university’s safronization, and the head of the Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, who said his government would not glorify the ideas and leaders who had turned his back on the striplical struggle.
Tharoor, however, at the facebook post, “Intellectual freedom is too important a value in our society to be sacrificed in the political altar of the party.
Stupid to believe that ignorance of someone’s ideas will help you to defeat them.
I have quoted Savarkar and Golwalkar in length My books, and denied it.
“He said that” some friends “have approved the stand that academic freedom” requires us to read, understand, and debate every point of view, including what we disagree with “.
“If we don’t read Savarkar and Golwalkar, on what basis we will oppose their ideas? Universitas Kannur also teaches Gandhi and Tagore,” he said in his position.
Vijayan, at the press meeting, said that no one had to glorify the reactionary ideology and leaders who enforce such ideas.
He also said the expert committee of two members has been appointed to look into this problem and the necessary steps will be taken by the university based on panel recommendations.
The committee, consisting of experts outside the university, has been asked to submit a report within five days and further decisions about the syllabus will be taken after that, said the Chancellor of the University of Gopinath Ravindran.
According to trade unions, the university has included the portion of Golwar’s books including “a group of thought” and Savarkar “Hindutva: Who is Hindu?” In the syllabus of the third semester students about government and politics.
The syllabus was not prepared by the Study Council but by Teacher Thalassery Brennen College and was decided by the Chancellor’s representative, they had accused.
MA government and politics are taught only at Brennen College under the University of Kannur.
Don’t sacrifice intellectual freedom on party political altars: Tharoor
