University academic staff want Rohinton Mistry back in syllabus

The University of Mumbai Academic Staff Association wants Rohinton Mistry’s book, Such a Long Journey, to be reintroduced.

“We demand that the book be reintroduced in the syllabus for second year BA (English) at the earliest,” the association said in a letter to university vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar. “A decision should be taken about its continuation when the new academic bodies meet.”

Criticising the manner in which the university dropped the book from the syllabus, the letter says “universities are supposed to lead by setting an example”. “We regret the university’s decision to remove the book from the syllabus for SYBA without a wider debate.”

The authorities should have waited till the new academic bodies are formed, the association said in the letter, so that such a decision would have had a “wider legitimacy”.

A few months ago, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s grandson Aditya and a few members of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena met the vice-chancellor asking him to drop the book. Their contention: the book has derogatory remarks against the Sena and dabbawalas.

Within 24 hours of their meeting Welukar, an emergency meeting was convened and the book was dropped.

“While we do not oppose the right of specific sections of society to feel offended, we are opposed to burning, banning, or banishing works of literature by invoking emergency powers,” according to the letter. “Today, our society is in the grip of parochial intolerance from various quarters.”

The association said in the letter that its members were “firmly committed to the ideal of debate and discussion in the event that a work of literature is thought to have offended the sensibilities of a section of society.”

The association members have decided to discuss the matter with Welukar.