DU faces backlash over bid to promotecow welfare summit

 NEW DELHI

A wave of outrage has swept through Delhi University’s (DU) academic circles after the administration asked its affiliated colleges to promote a summit on cow welfare while cancelling a long-running seminar on land and democracy.

DU directed college principals to share with faculty members and students the details of ‘Rashtriya Godhan Summit’, a five-day event focused on the “welfare of cows and promotion of cow-based sustainable innovations”. 

An e-mail sent on Wednesday from the Dean of Colleges instructed principals to circulate information on the event. It stated that participants could witness “a plethora of activities and exhibitions”.

However, the directive invited criticism from faculty members as DU cancelled a seminar, titled ‘Land, Property and Democracy’, scheduled to be held at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE).

The contrast between the two communications “highlights a conscious move away from scientific temper and academic integrity towards the promotion of an unscientific and regressive political agenda”, said Abha Dev Habib, professor, Miranda House.

The unilateral cancellation of a prestigious seminar conducted by the Sociology Department “smacks of an intention to undermine critical thinking and academic autonomy”, said Rudrashish Chakraborty, professor at Kirori Mal College.

Convener resigns

The seminar was part of DSE’s Friday Colloquium, a 60-year-old academic tradition that features weekly talks. Following the cancellation, Nandini Sundar, convener of the colloquium, resigned. She said she could “no longer guarantee the intellectual integrity of the research colloquium”.

A notice posted on the university website stated that the seminar was cancelled “due to administrative reasons as per the directions of the competent authorities”.

‘No prior approval’

DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the event was cancelled because departments had not sought prior approval from the academic branch despite repeated reminders. “In recent months, we have also cancelled talks [organised by] the Political Science and Sanskrit departments for the same reason,” he said.