Letter:
Some local newspapers including (“Agitating students were ‘educated illiterates’ published in Himalayan Mirror; “Pradarshankari Vidyarthiharulai Prof Lamale diye sikshit murkhako upadhi”, Samaya Dainik : published on 20 May 2012) quoting the Founding Vice Chancellors’ address at the 3rd Global lecture delivered by Prof Isher Judge Ahluwalia and at the 1st Plenary Session of the Academic Council mentioned that the Vice Chancellor termed the students who protested before the Sikkim University on 18th May 2012 as the Educated Illiterates.
The Vice Chancellor never made such remarks against the students in whatsoever way. Being a teacher himself and also the Head of an educational institution the question of describing his own students in such a manner just does not arise. What Vice Chancellor mentioned was in the larger context of rumor mongers and educated society. What he exactly said is mentioned below from the transcripts of the video taken on that day.
“Many people also think....believe in rumors......saying that oh! Sikkim University does not have any local employment or Sikkim University does not have representation from this group or that. From the very beginning let me tell you we have been trying to build a national institution; an exclusively inclusive institution; Right... and a liberal institution. Right! We have adequate representation in this university of minorities of all kinds- the Christians, the Buddhists, the Muslims... we have all kinds of representation in the social categories, if you have any categories... you name any category we have. We have geographical representations from wherever you want; if you want from India anywhere... you have in the students and the faculty and the management. That’s how a national university is built. But again with a strong local ethos, contents and aspirations, I always say. So let us not go by rumors. We are all educated people. I see people even educated people talking about. Going by rumors. I call them in that case…they are all educated illiterates. We have a very clear choice.....would you like to behave (like) an educated person or would you like to behave like an educated Illiterate person? The second one is much more dangerous and much more deleterious in your daily life.”
It is surprising that two local newspapers even wrote editorials based on these blatant untruths. It is also saddening to note that a Nepali newspaper translated the term educated illiterates as “Sikshit Murkha” whereas the nearest possible translation would have been “Sikshit Asakshar”. We would urge the concerned newspaper not to repeat such mistakes as such translations sometimes become both insinuating and derogatory.
Prava Mukhia, In-charge External Relation, Sikkim University
i think SU needs somebody else more competent in charge of its PR. ms. mukhia does not make a compelling case for the VC. if one were to look at the remarks attributed to the VC (the PR head's translation of the speech transcripts)in its overall context it is evident that his unfortunate remark is intended at the agitating students.
ReplyDeletehe says " I see people even educated people talking about. Going by rumors. I call them in that case…they are all educated illiterates. We have a very clear choice.....would you like to behave (like) an educated person or would you like to behave like an educated Illiterate person?"
because in the event that this patronising tone was directed at the civil society and the educate people at large, it would be even more unfortunate and of course immensely 'insinuating and derogatory'.
Haha, Do you think this text actually came from the PR person, it ofcourse is coming straight from the Honable Founding VC's pen himself.
ReplyDeleteHe is, oh, such a foolish man. Hahaha.
Poor Prava sucked into this rigmarole, when the post was much coveted by someone else in SU!!!!
ReplyDelete