Dissenting DU Professors Challenge Hindu Studies Syllabus, Expose Bias Towards ‘Brahmanical Texts’
The amended syllabus for Delhi University’s MA in Hindu Studies received approval from the Academic Council on Friday, sparking concerns among a group of teachers who argue it heavily emphasizes “orthodox Brahmanical texts” while omitting room for critical perspectives and key texts by influential thinkers such as Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and Daya Krishna.
The Centre for Hindu Studies, initiated last year, began its first MA cohort in November 2023, previously adhering to the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) syllabus. According to Prerna Malhotra, Joint Director of the Centre, the shift was necessitated by the two-year program requiring additional coursework. A committee was thus formed to develop the new syllabus.
Despite the teachers’ dissent, marking the prominence of Brahmanical texts over heterodox traditions like Sramanism, Charvaka, Jainism, Buddhism, and tribal traditions, Malhotra claimed the Academic Council passed the updated syllabus without opposition. She noted that the new curriculum underwent various reviews and incorporated multiple suggestions before finalization.
The revised syllabus proposes electives such as ‘An Introduction to Vedic Literature’, ‘Upanishad Parichaya’, ‘Dharma and Religion’, ‘Bhagavad Gita for Humanity’, and ‘Hindu Thinkers’, featuring figures like Ramanujacharya, Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. However, the exclusion of works by scholars like Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya and Daya Krishna and the absence of Ambedkar’s seminal text, “Riddles in Hinduism,” have drawn criticism.
Professor Maya John, one of the dissenting faculty, stated that the chosen reading list supports only a singular scholarly tradition on Hinduism, neglecting diverse perspectives such as Marxist, feminist, Periyarist, Ambedkarite, and other critical viewpoints. This, she argued, limits the syllabus’s expansiveness and fails to equip scholars with the comprehensive perspectives necessary for deep academic engagement.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/dissenting-du-professors-say-hindu-studies-syllabus-focusses-on-brahmanical-texts/article68402562.ece
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