[INDOLOGY] [SARI-L] [EXT]20th India Studies Webinar on Sep 28 (Thursday), 10.30 am - 11.30 am (IST), organized by The India Centre, FLAME University

[Lyne Bansat-Boudon]

Dear Colleague,

Thank you for this very well argumented answer to Prof. Jain, and for your high sense of ethics as well as what should be called, under the circumstances,  your courage!

Best wishes,

Lyne


Lyne Bansat-Boudon

Directeur d'études pour les Religions de l'Inde

Ecole pratique des hautes études, section des sciences religieuses

Membre senior honoraire de l'Institut universitaire de France

________________________________
De : INDOLOGY <indology-bounces at list.indology.info> de la part de Tyler Williams via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info>
Envoyé : mardi 12 septembre 2023 19:12
À : pankajaindia at gmail.com <pankajaindia at gmail.com>
Cc : sari-l at list.arizona.edu <sari-l at list.arizona.edu>; indology at list.indology.info <indology at list.indology.info>
Objet : Re: [INDOLOGY] [SARI-L] [EXT]20th India Studies Webinar on Sep 28 (Thursday), 10.30 am - 11.30 am (IST), organized by The India Centre, FLAME University

Dear Professor Jain,

In response to your invitation to participate in a webinar with Prof. Salvatore Babones, I can only politely request that you and your colleagues at FLAME reconsider your invitation to him to speak.

As you may be aware, Dr. Babones has repeatedly vilified humanities and social science scholars at large in India, suggesting that those Indian academics who critique the current government are "anti-national" and "anti-India." He has also suggested, on numerous occasions, that those of us that are engaged in the study of South Asia outside of India and who critique the current regime are similarly "anti-India" in toto. Dr. Salvatore's rather broad and unconsidered pronouncements in the press, in social media, and in forums such as the one you propose have demonstrably encouraged the vilification of Indian academia at large and liberal or left-leaning Indian academics in particular. His statements have also generated a palpable and general mistrust of non-Indian scholars among a segment of the Indian public, without providing any basis for such mistrust.

I am sure you will agree that inviting or not inviting Dr. Babones is not a matter of academic freedom, freedom of inquiry, or freedom of speech. The reason for this is that Dr. Babones has publicly demonstrated his opposition to academic freedom, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of speech by repeatedly suggesting that any and all critics of the current political regime are anti-national, treasonous, or neo-colonial agents. As is plain, such a position can never engage in reasoned and reasonable debate or the exchange of ideas.

(Colleagues unfamiliar with Dr. Salvatore may refer to his numerous statements vilifying Indian and foreign academics and the entire "intellectual class" of India<Dear%20Professor%20Jain,%20%20In%20response%20to%20your%20invitation%20to%20participate%20in%20a%20webinar%20with%20Prof.%20Salvatore%20Babones,%20I%20can%20only%20politely%20request%20that%20you%20and%20your%20colleagues%20at%20FLAME%20reconsider%20your%20invitation%20to%20him%20to%20speak.%20%20As%20you%20may%20be%20aware,%20Dr.%20Salvatore%20has%20repeatedly%20vilified%20humanities%20and%20social%20science%20scholars%20at%20large%20in%20India,%20suggesting%20that%20those%20Indian%20academics%20who%20critique%20the%20current%20government%20are%20"anti-national"%20and%20"anti-India."%20He%20has%20also%20suggested,%20on%20numerous%20occasions,%20that%20those%20of%20us%20that%20are%20engaged%20in%20the%20study%20of%20South%20Asia%20outside%20of%20India%20and%20who%20critique%20the%20current%20regime%20are%20similarly%20"anti-India"%20in%20toto.%20Dr.%20Salvatore's%20rather%20broad%20and%20unconsidered%20pronouncements%20in%20the%20press,%20in%20social%20media,%20and%20in%20forums%20such%20as%20the%20one%20you%20propose%20have%20demonstrably%20encouraged%20the%20vilification%20of%20Indian%20academia%20at%20large%20and%20liberal%20or%20left-leaning%20Indian%20academics%20in%20particular.%20His%20statements%20have%20also%20generated%20a%20palpable%20and%20general%20mistrust%20of%20non-Indian%20scholars%20among%20a%20segment%20of%20the%20Indian%20public,%20without%20providing%20any%20basis%20for%20such%20mistrust.%20%20I%20am%20sure%20you%20will%20agree%20that%20inviting%20or%20not%20inviting%20Dr.%20Babones%20is%20not%20a%20matter%20of%20academic%20freedom,%20freedom%20of%20inquiry,%20or%20freedom%20of%20speech.%20The%20reason%20for%20this%20is%20that%20Dr.%20Babones%20has%20publicly%20demonstrated%20his%20opposition%20to%20academic%20freedom,%20freedom%20of%20inquiry,%20and%20freedom%20of%20speech%20by%20repeatedly%20suggesting%20that%20any%20and%20all%20critics%20of%20the%20current%20political%20regime%20are%20anti-national,%20treasonous,%20or%20neo-colonial%20agents.%20As%20is%20plain,%20such%20a%20position%20can%20never%20engage%20in%20reasoned%20and%20reasonable%20debate%20or%20the%20exchange%20of%20ideas.%20%20(Colleagues%20unfamiliar%20with%20Dr.%20Salvatore%20may%20refer%20to%20his%20numerous%20statements%20vilifying%20Indian%20and%20foreign%20academics%20and%20the%20entire%20"intellectual%20class"%20of%20India%20in%20the%20Indian%20media%20and%20on%20Twitter/X.)%20%20This%20being%20the%20case,%20I%20am%20sure%20you%20can%20see%20why%20The%20India%20Centre's%20invitatinon%20to%20Dr.%20Balbones%20could%20be,%20and%20is%20indeed%20being,%20read%20as%20an%20expression%20of%20FLAME's%20fealty%20to%20the%20present%20political%20dispensation%20rather%20than%20as%20an%20expression%20of%20commitment%20to%20the%20exchange%20of%20ideas%20and%20the%20sharing%20of%20knowledge.%20%20%20Since%20the%20debate%20around%20freedom%20of%20speech%20and%20inquiry%20has%20become%20so%20confused,%20I%20will%20repeat:%20the%20issue%20that%20others%20and%20I%20perceive%20in%20the%20platforming%20of%20Dr.%20Balbones%20is%20that%20he%20will%20use%20the%20platform,%20as%20he%20has%20many%20others,%20to%20encourage%20government%20repression%20of%20individual%20academics%20and%20their%20institutions,%20thus%20creating%20a%20material%20danger%20to%20our%20Indian%20colleagues,%20their%20careers,%20and%20their%20institutions.%20I%20am%20sure%20this%20is%20not%20something%20that%20anyone%20at%20FLAME%20would%20wish%20to%20do.%20%20In%20summary,%20I%20hope%20that%20you%20will%20reconsider%20inviting%20Dr.%20Babones%20as%20an%20honored%20speaker%20to%20FLAME,%20not%20because%20he%20is%20a%20sychopant%20to%20the%20current%20regime%20but%20because%20he%20is%20attacking%20the%20academic%20activities%20and%20careers%20of%20our%20colleagues,%20many%20of%20whom%20are%20members%20of%20this%20list.%20%20Regards,%20Tyler%20Williams%20University%20of%20Chicago> in the Indian media and on Twitter/X.)

This being the case, I am sure you can see why The India Centre's invitation to Dr. Balbones could be, and is indeed being, read as an expression of FLAME's fealty to the present political dispensation rather than as an expression of commitment to the exchange of ideas and the sharing of knowledge.

Since the debate around freedom of speech and inquiry has become so confused lately, I will repeat: the issue that others and I perceive in the platforming of Dr. Balbones is that he will use the platform, as he has many others, to encourage government repression of individual academics and their institutions, thus creating a material danger to our Indian colleagues, their careers, and their institutions. I am sure this is not something that anyone at FLAME would wish to do.

In summary, I hope that you will reconsider inviting Dr. Babones as an honored speaker to FLAME, not because he is a sycophant to the current regime but because he is attacking the academic activities and careers of our colleagues, many of whom are members of this list.


Regards,
Tyler Williams
University of Chicago

On Tue, Sep 12, 2023 at 7:32 AM Pankaj Sukanraj Jain पंकज सुकनराज जैन <sari-l at list.arizona.edu<mailto:sari-l at list.arizona.edu>> wrote:

External Email

Esteemed colleagues and friends,

The India Centre, FLAME University is delighted to share that we will be hosting our 20th India Series Webinar. The speaker for this month is Prof. Salvatore Babones.

About the Speaker: Prof. Salvatore Babones is a political sociologist at the University of Sydney and the author of Australia's Universities: Can they Reform? He is the author or co-author of seven other books and many academic papers. He serves as the executive director of the Indian Century Roundtable. He will be speaking on How International Democracy Ratings Misrepresent India?

Details of the webinar are as follows:
Date: 28 September
Time: 10.30  – 11.30 am
Zoom Link:  https://flameuniversity.zoom.us/j/92288362242 , Passcode: 599938

We are hopeful that you share our enthusiasm for participating in this conversation. Please help us spread this message extensively.

Hoping to see you in the webinar.

Warm regards,
Sanchari Basu Chaudhuri
Fellow, The India Centre<https://indiacentre.flame.edu.in/>
FLAME University

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