COIMBATORE: Chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday condemned the removal of literary works by Tamil feminist writers Bama and Sukirtharani from the syllabus of Delhi University and demanded the university to include the works in the syllabus again.
In a statement, Stalin said that the literary works of writer Bama and poet Sukirtharani should not be seen through the prism of politics and religion. “The removal at the behest of the oversight committee without the knowledge of department professors is arbitrary. It cannot be accepted on any count,’’ he said.
“The practice of looking at the writings of Bama and Sukirtharani which talk about women’s rights, liberation of the oppression and human dignity through the prism of party politics and religion should be dropped. I urge the Union government and Delhi University to include their works again in the syllabus,” he said.
The writers Bama and Sukirtharani who have expressed their displeasure for the removal, however, said that blacking out the voices of the oppressed has been happening regularly and hence the removal was not surprising.
“The removal of our works from the syllabus of Delhi University is saddening. I feel removing these writings is not right. But I am not surprised – because this kind of blacking out has been happening regularly,’’ Sukirtharani said.
The academic council of Delhi University which met on Tuesday removed Bama’s writing titled ‘Sangati’ and Sukirtharani’s works ‘Kaimmaru’ and ‘En Udal,’ from the syllabus of BA English (Honours) on the recommendations of its Oversight Committee despite opposition from many of council members.
While Sukirtha Rani’s poems Kaimmaru and En Udal are about manual scavengers and about body of a woman respectively, Bama’s Sangati is about the travails of dalit women. Short story titled Draupati written by Bengali writer Mahesweta Devi was also removed by the council.
“There is certainly politics in it. If our works are replaced by the writing of another dalit writer, then its fine. But that has not happened. We learn that writings of an upper caste writer have been included. So, I feel caste and Hindutva were at play behind the removal of our works,’’ she said.
The writers said that none from the University informed them about the removal and they came to know about Academic Council decision only through media reports.
The works of the two writers including those that have been removed by Delhi University are part of the syllabus of several universities across India and have been translated in various languages outside the country as well.
“It is shocking,” said Sahitya Akademi winner and Madurai MP Su Venkatesan. “The writings of the two who created a strong impact on society through their works should be included again.”
