Sasanka Perera, a former South Asian University (SAU) professor of sociology and the same university’s former vice president and dean, recently left his position after its administration launched an investigation into his graduate student’s PhD proposal. The proposal was about Kashmir and included a quote from the well-known political critic, Noam Chomsky. In the quote, Chomsky criticizes India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the BJP party he leads. It appears to be part of a recurring pattern of retaliation against academics for any perceived criticism of the government.
K.K. Aggarwal
President and Professor of Computer Engineering and Information Technology
South Asian University
Rajpur Road, Maidan Garhi
New Delhi 110 068, India
Phone: +91 11 20863540
E-mail: president@sau.int
September 11, 2024
Dear President Aggarwal,
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing in regard to Sasanka Perera, a former South Asian University (SAU) professor of sociology in his twelfth year and the former vice president and dean of the same university. Prior to his time working at SAU, he was a professor of sociology at the University of Colombo for nearly twenty years. Two months ago, he left the university after its administration launched an investigation into the PhD proposal of one of his students. The student’s proposal was about Kashmir and included a quote by Noam Chomsky, a well-known professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and political critic. In the quote, Chomsky criticizes India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) he leads. It also appears the student has been ejected from university accommodations in response to her discussing future sociology coursework with classmates.
As an international university founded by the eight countries comprising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), SAU has a special responsibility in maintaining academic freedom and holding firm against any pressure from the Indian government, as recently affirmed by India’s highest court. It is not appropriate for a university administration to interfere with a dissertation topic selected by its student and approved by its faculty.
The Committee is concerned this incident may be part of a recurring pattern of retaliation against academics for any perceived criticism of the government, both at this university and other universities in India. It is essential that faculty be able to critically assess the policies of the government.
We write to urge your administration to offer Professor Sasanka Perera his position back with assurances that no interference will be made in his research or in the research of his students. We also request for the student to be granted the right to return to her university accommodations.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
CC:
Dharmendra Pradhan
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education, Government of India
302-C, Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi, Delhi, India 110001
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Twitter: @EduMinOfIndia
E-mail: minister.sm@gov.in