[INDOLOGY] Indologist at Center of Sexual Harassment Mess at Berkeley

Thu Oct 6 07:44:42 UTC 2016

e.sa eva satyaagraha.h. atha satyam eva jayate athavaa vijetaa.

iti saadhayati ;srutavega.h

vivardhate vibhāge ’pi, vidyaivānyan na kiṃ cana /

ity avācy anyadā  suṣṭhu, prācyarāṣṭrakaviśriyā //

satyam eva vijayate – haqīqat sab ke sab jīt letā hai :: verum omnia vincit

hašiyam ərtācā dinātiy – haqiqat barande mišavad :: τὸ ἀληθὲς πάντως νικᾷ

Dr. Chlodwig H. Werba, Prof. of Indo-Iranian Studies 
Institute of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, South Asian Studies

http://stb.univie.ac.at
University Campus, Courtyard 2/2.1 
Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Vienna, AUSTRIA  
Tel.: +43-1-4277-435-19

Von: INDOLOGY [mailto:indology-bounces at list.indology.info] Im Auftrag von Walter Slaje
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 06. Oktober 2016 08:19
An: Antonia Ruppel
Cc: Indology List
Betreff: Re: [INDOLOGY] Indologist at Center of Sexual Harassment Mess at Berkeley

Might I draw the gentle readership’s attention to the purpose of this list as published on their guidelines page (http://listinfo.indology.info/): 

INDOLOGY forum for Classical South Asian studies:

INDOLOGY is an internet discussion group whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for discussion among professional scholars of classical Indian (South Asian) civilization. The central focus of the list is the history and culture of ancient and classical India [...]

It is clear from this statement – but also from the general practice followed so far by its members – that the list is to focus on research pertaining to „ancient and classical India“  – but not to pursuing the immoral conduct of selected American South Asianists. To this day it has served the purely scholarly purpose very well indeed.

I am concerned that the shift now introduced towards naming and shaming is not only a violation of the guidelines above, but will undermine the reputation of the list and make scholars, who feel disgusted by public pillorying, turn away from it. After all, it is for the courts to assess, for the media to publicize, and for the tabloids to expose.

I can see no scholarship in any of it which would befit this list.

It is certainly legitimate to take an interest in the morals of South Asian scholars. Whoever does so and considers the issue important enough might perhaps want to establish something like The American South Asianists Immorality Discussion Forum. I really don’t think we should subscribe to such news feed here on this list.

Regards,

WS

2016-10-05 20:56 GMT+02:00 Antonia Ruppel <rhododaktylos at gmail.com>:

Dear Audrey,

Many thanks for the links and the excellent overview. You're absolutely right that we need to be aware of what is going on. Whenever something like this comes to light about someone who is a colleague or perhaps even a friend, it is shocking and uncomfortable. Still, the more information we have, the better we are able to find the right side to be on here. (And yes, I think that unfortunately there are sides here, and many of us close enough to the situation need to choose one.)

All best,

     Antonia

On 29 September 2016 at 16:52, Audrey Truschke <audrey.truschke at gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Colleagues,

List members may be interested in an ongoing sexual harassment scandal at UC Berkeley involving an Indologist, Blake Wentworth.

Wentworth, who works on classical Tamil literature, was found guilty of sexual harassment and misconduct last year by the university, and three of his victims came forward with details of the case (here <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/10/uc-berkeley-students-professor-sexual-harassment-complaint>  and here <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/27/uc-berkeley-sexual-harassment-scandal-blake-wentworth> ) after being frustrated with delays in firing Wentworth.

Now Wentworth is trying to silence the women he harassed with a defamation lawsuit (here <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/29/uc-berkeley-sexual-harassment-blake-wentworth-sues-victims> ).

As many of you know, sexual harassment is an ongoing issue in many disciplines, and our corner of the academy, it seems, is no exception.

Audrey Truschke

Assistant Professor

Department of History
Rutgers University-Newark

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-- 

Antonia Ruppel

Richmond (UK)

Out soon: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit 

 <http://www.cambridge.org/ir/academic/subjects/religion/buddhism-and-eastern-religions/cambridge-introduction-sanskrit> http://www.cambridge.org/ir/academic/subjects/religion/buddhism-and-eastern-religions/cambridge-introduction-sanskrit

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