Assault on Academics

India’s academic freedom is increasingly under threat, with rising political interference, censorship and surveillance stifling scholarly expression. Universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have seen growing restrictions on student protests and intellectual exercise. Once renowned for its strong culture of free-flowing intellectual discourse JNU has recently witnessed a series of controversies ranging from unjustified cuts in funds, muzzling of student protests, and a high-handed administration that seems to be too eager to carry out partisan orders of the ruling dispensation. Modi’s India is imitating Trump’s America in curbing the autonomy of higher education.

Several scholars have been subjected to legal proceedings, imprisonment, or public demonisation, rather than mob demonisation in recent years. Renowned scholars Anand Teltumbde, Hany Babu and Shoma Sen were detained under the Unlawful Activities Prevention) Act (UAPA) on charges of being involved in the Bhima-Koregaon case. G N Saibaba, a 90-percent disabled and wheelchair-bound professor, had to spend ten years in jail for his alleged links with Maoists before the Supreme Court acquitted him. Shortly after his release, he died following a surgical procedure.

 Then they are specifically targeting students, the most vocal section of society. Students’ voice of dissent is being crushed ruthlessly. In 2016, JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid were accused of ‘sedition’ under a colonial-era law for allegedly chanting ‘antinational’ slogans. The persons in power are increasingly criminalising campus mobilising for just demands. In truth, the ‘Trumpian’ terror in Indian campuses started much earlier.

The student wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), forcibly closes down cultural events that are against their sectarian politics. They also terrorise ordinary students who refuse to support their obnoxious worldview. Teachers are punished for voicing dissent.

Meanwhile, state-run institutions like NCERT are revising textbooks to promote a narrow, nationalist narrative. Scholars face legal repressions, self-censorship, and political pressure, with many fearing backlash for exploring controversial issues. The BJP government is hell bent on turning universities into tools for spreading saffron ideology. The erosion of academic liberty not only harms intellectual exploration but also weakens democracy itself. In reality, this is a democracy for a few. In other words, it can hardly be called a democracy, representing the aspirations of the people.

With India’s Academic Freedom Index [AFI] plummeting, the long-term consequences could result in a diminished education system and a less engaged citizenry. India’s AFI has declined significantly over the years, ranking among nations with constrained academic status. The denial of academic freedom in India is a symptom of a deeper crisis of democratic values and institutional autocracy. The Scholars at Risk Network and Freedom House have raised serious concerns about academic persecution and the declining space for critical debate in India.

What is at stake is the defence of fundamental democratic rights and constitutional freedom. The academic fraternity in America is now facing the worst form of McCarthyism under Trump 2. But McCarthyism in India has already matured under the Modi dispensation. The latest instance of an attack on academics is the case of Professor Apoorvanand in the Hindi department of Delhi University. Apoorvanand had sought leave to participate in the 20th anniversary celebration of the India-China Institute at the New School in New York from April 23 to May 1. The University authority demanded that Apoorvanand submit the text of the proposed talk before his travel clearance could be considered. When he refused to comply, the University denied him permission to attend the event.

It is not enough to be outraged. Academics must fight back. Tragically, progressives in this country are yet to get organised to start a sustained programme of action against Modi’s ‘bulldozer’ on campuses.

22.4.2025

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 46, May 11 - 17, 2025