R.Vijayaraghavan

First i read about the controversy in Dr. CNR’s well judged essay in Prajavani. As i had not read the original essay i went out for a web search. I got it and a better copy of it in outlook’s archives. I read it and to my amusement, all the Delhi University Academia began to appear before me cunning foxes. I have not even to this day read anything about the Indian Cultural Scene so brilliant as that. It held all elements that a nice essay should and much more than that. Thoughtfully, Ramanujan has examined the issue from the perspective of translations. It’s variants are not new to us in south Karnataka. we have temples for Ravana and fairs and chariot marches carrying Ravanasura. Another essay also came to my notice. it was a reviewer who was a bit critical about certain non-Hindu critics. It was neither a left one nor a right one.

Romila Thapar in her interview to the Hindu has articulated her concerns over so many intricate issues involved in teaching culture and History and how the Valmiki’s text has come or made stay as the mainstream text;she has rightly questioned, why the universities have employed faculty members who cannot understand a text like this impugned one.In fact the observation of the experts on the university is a dot on the face of the academics of universities.

These days we have seen one MP asking government at the center to ban a book because he feels it is blasphemous not because he has read and found for himself it is so, but because he has to say that to become and be a saviour of his religion. These judgements are not made on sane principles of understanding and fair play. They have become whimsical.

My urge therefore is that the Delhi University has to restore the status of the essay and the human resources ministry take steps to revamp the academic council of the Delhi University.

Lastly, I wish to draw the attention of readers to the opinion expressed by Mr. George L.Hart from Berkeley, US. He writes about Ramanujan, whom he personally knew, that he has rarely encountered anyone else who has shown so much of love and reverence to Hinduism, as Ramanujan did(Letters to the Editor-29.10.2011). The culture restorers should strive to think that culture is different from the archeological excavations.