English syllabus changed so as not to ‘hurt sentiments’, says DU registrar

The oversight committee is tasked with looking into problems with regards to exams, course changes, and other department requirements in the absence of statutory body meetings.

A day after several Delhi University (DU) teachers voiced their dissent in the strongest terms against the removal of texts by renowned author Mahasweta Devi and two Dalit authors from the undergraduate English syllabus, the varsity administration on Thursday said the dissent and objections were “misplaced” and “unfounded” as the final syllabus was approved through a democratic process.

In a dissent note submitted by 15 academic council (AC) members on Tuesday, teachers said the oversight committee approved changes without consulting the English department. ( Amal KS / Hindustan Times)

“The final content of the syllabus has been designed by the department of English,” registrar Vikas Gupta said in a press note on Thursday, adding that the oversight committee finalised the syllabus after “due deliberations and recommendations of the head of the department”.

The oversight committee is tasked with looking into problems with regards to exams, course changes, and other department requirements in the absence of statutory body meetings.

“The university subscribes to the idea that the literary content, forming a part of the text in a language course of study, should contain materials that do not hurt the sentiments of any individual and is inclusive in nature to portray a true picture of our society, both past and present,” Gupta said.

On Wednesday, Hindustan Times had quoted the oversight committee chairperson MK Pandit saying the committee had “conflicting opinions” over Devi’s work “Draupadi “, the story of a tribal woman.

Devi, a Bengali author and tribal and women rights activist, had received several awards and accolades for her seminal body of work, including the Sahitya Akademi award and the Jnanpith Award, and was also conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India. She died in Kolkata in 2016.

In a dissent note submitted by 15 academic council (AC) members on Tuesday, teachers said the oversight committee approved changes without consulting the English department.

Apart from the removal of Devi’s “Draupadi”, the changes also included the removal of works by two Dalit scholars, Bama and Sukartharini, which were replaced by texts by upper caste author Ramabai. The committee also removed “a feminist interpretation of Ramayana”, and deleted sections from “Interrogating Queerness” paper.

Responding to the registrar’s press note, academic council members Rajesh Kumar, Biswajit Mohanty, and Mithuraaj Dhusiya released a statement on Thursday saying, “To use “hurt sentiments” as an excuse to delete texts is a blatant attempt to impose thought control of the dominant and privileged social groups. By suggesting that the syllabus should merely uphold the status quo and not critique or question the same, the DU press release has actually undermined the very ethos of the university.”