DU DEFENDS ITS REMOVAL OF TWO DALIT WRITERS, MAHASWETA DEVI

NEW DELHI: After several Delhi University (DU) teachers voiced their dissent against the institution’s removal of texts by renowned author Mahasweta Devi and two Dalit authors — Bama and Sukirtharani — from the undergraduate English syllabus, the varsity administration in a statement said the objections were “misplaced” and “unfounded” as the final syllabus was approved through a democratic process.

“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. She died in Kolkata in 2016.