In today’s The Hindu (dated March 22, 2023), I came across an article by two IIT Bombay alumni talking about the issue of discrimination on the campus. A recent case of an undergraduate student, who was a Dalit, ending his life is the context of a revived discussion on the caste-based discrimination in India’s premier educational institutes.
This reminded me of a discussion I had with a fellow classmate about the utility of studying social sciences in general and language courses in particular. Her question was about the contribution that one can make by studying literature and other subjects in the humanities. We talked at length about different aspects and dimensions of education, and I came up with various examples of how the study of the humanities makes our existence worthy of being called a ‘human existence.’
The authors of the article point out the creation of an atmosphere that segregates students into ‘us’ and ‘them' in a layered and continuous process that takes subtle, seemingly innocuous forms. Quoting Michael Sandel’s book The Tyranny of Merit, the authors argue that the discussion on discrimination should be predicated on the idea of merit, as it is the embedded idea of merit that gives license to discriminate. In this work, Sandel argues that hubris among elites and the politics of humiliation are a result of meritocracy.
I have been studying and staying at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi for more than a year now. While my major is the Study of International Relations (MA-PISM), I have the liberty here to opt for any course across schools and centers as an optional. This not only presents a medium for knowing different subjects but also the interaction with the fellow classmates. I don’t know if such an arrangement is feasible in the technical subjects, but it certainly helps if we can talk to anyone from any course in our batch.
But the basis of social cohesion herein is not just the academics; it’s the environment where discrimination is strongly objected to and inclusivity is in the air. I don’t recall anyone here asking me about my caste or religion, nor did I ever ask. I have good friends from almost all courses, and they come from different regions, religions, ethnicities, and castes and have varying perspectives about the world. There are friends whose choice of partners is not shaped by the socially prescribed binary of male and female but rather by the conscious call of their hearts. We disagree strongly about various ideas, debate more often, and then share a cup of tea in one of the canteens or dhabas on campus.
Herein, I haven’t been judged for the clothes I wore, the lack of fluency in my language, or the broken screen of my mobile phone. There are friends who have been to many countries, and there are others who came out of their village only when they got admission into JNU, and I have good relations with most of them. There might be personal grudges among us, but rarely are they the result of socio-economic identity factors. While there are exceptions, the number of such exceptions can’t negate the existence of an environment of inclusivity.
There have been instances when we disagreed with our professors, even during discussions with foreign delegations from Europe, the USA, and Taiwan. We have questioned and cross-questioned even the dean of our school, and on no occasion were any of us discouraged for our disagreements. I have had interactions with the Vice-Chancellor, who also happens to be an alumni of JNU, and have always found her to be attentive to our concerns.
While there might be other perspectives and experiences of JNU, they may present a picture much different from what I have known in my limited experience. However, it is certain that JNU epitomizes a campus where the ideas of equality, dignity, and fraternity thrive well within spaces of learning. And it is in the interest of any nation and society to let such sanctuaries exist for the creation of a society that does not discard the value of justice in a blind race of machines.
Link to article- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/discrimination-in-the-iits-is-something-to-write-about/article66646925.ece
D Ram
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