Eminent professors and their hypocrisy

From politicians to Bollywood stars, many are at the forefront of their support to Jawaharlal Nehru University protestors. Beyond that the loud voices criticizing the government over the attack by masked men at the University are three eminent professors – Ramchandra Guha, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, and Raghuram Rajan. Being teachers in renowned universities they should know it better.

Violence at any educational institution is despicable. So is it in JNU. Was the masked attack by men on students, teachers, and destruction of property the first instance of violence?

Prof Guha, Mehta, who was till recently a vice chancellor at Ashoka University, and Rajan Finance Professor at Chicago University and also a founder of a new university in India, Krea, should know very well that the violence did not begin with the attack by masked men.

The first violent protests happened against the fee hike at the JNU. See here a snapshot from the recent Indian Express article on the JNU fee hike.

Those protesting against fee hike, are they not worried about losing a precious year if protests shut down the university for an academic year? Is it too much to ask how many of them could afford to spend time at Starbucks when they aren’t protesting, and what brands of winterwear they have armed themselves with protesting at the height of Delhi winter.

 These three  - Guha, Mehta and Rajan – are eminently aware of the fees that universities charge. These are men who have earned millions while teaching students who themselves pay thousands of dollars by pledging family jewels and borrowing from money lenders.

Here is another snapshot of fees that Rajan’s new university is charging in its very first year.

Eminent academics have their wealth and income were built on the debt of some parents somewhere. These people teach in universities that have billions of dollars in endowments. What about JNU. It is the taxpayer money. Why would a taxpayer subsidise these goons who are propagating a particular ideology and spewing venom sitting there? Has there been any count on how many have been in JNU hostels for years enjoying the subsidies while running their businesses from inside the campus?

Here is a snapshot of fee structure at The Stanford where Guha used to be a visiting professor, University of Chicago, and The Ashoka University.

Did any of these learned professors ask students to attend classes and accept higher fees for tuition and hostel? Where were you? Ashoka University says they support almost 50 per cent of their students with grants. Well, these eminences can create endowments, grants for students who cannot afford fee hike at JNU right, can’t they? After all eminent industrialists have showered lavish grants on international universities.

Do you know what is happening on the ground? Watching a few clips of footage fed by the media and social networks, Rajan comments on who is wrong? The same Rajan who described the Indian media and analysis, be it cricket or economy, bipolar!

Are all these educational institutions just that? Aren’t they the hot bed of political activism?

There have been instances of Indian educationists involved in naxal activities. One can read up on it and one recent case that has been in limelight has been Professor Saibaba – here is one link - https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/jnu-du-hubs-of-naxal-activities-indoctrination-of-students-964679-2017-03-09

 It is not that some of these Indian institutions have people who work against the state and law and order. All these eminent professors would well remember the `ring of five’ of Cambridge University and the activities they were indulging in.

Let us not pretend that educational institutions are fostering good thoughts. They are also the breeding ground for activities that could disturb law and order.

All these intellectuals would wax eloquent about democracy! When a government passes a law in the Parliament they want it to pull it down by indulging in unlawful activities. Don’t they have faith in judiciary? For everything they would say so but Guha wouldn’t do it when it comes to Citizenship Amendment Act.

These men were considered intellectuals whom the common man can look up to. But their masks are off. These are men no more than any other political activists. Democracy is just a tool for them to further interests as long as it suits their beliefs. As academics are they being honest enough … can they for a moment think what happens if this were to playout at Chicago Booth or Ashoka?

Whether these events would lead us to a better state or not, but the hypocrisy of the elite is exposed.