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US: Students demand suspended Indian-American prof be reinstated
October 13, 2011 11:46 IST
Students have called for a protest on Saturday at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco demanding the reinstatement of professors in the department of anthropology -- Richard Shapiro and Angana Chatterji. Shapiro, the head of the department, and Chatterji, co-convener of the International People's Tribunal on human rights in Kashmir [ Images ], have reportedly been suspended following complaints from students. Chatterji, an Indian-American scholar is noted for her opposition to religious nationalism.
There are also rumours doing the rounds that Shapiro and Chatterji could have been suspended for their work on Kashmir. However, there is no confirmation on the same.
Though students said the professors were suspended since July 19, Jim Martin, director of communications at Continental Institute of International Studies, a private university, told rediff.com that the duo were on paid leave. "Lot of misinformation is going on about the issue. The work of the professors as regards to the Kashmir issue has nothing to do with this action. In fact the institute had only supported their work on Kashmir," he said.
According to student leaders, there's a gag order issued on the professors on speaking about the suspension. However, Martin denied any gag order.
Jessica Hu, one of the organisers of the protest, told rediff.com that students were unclear of allegations against the professors.
Hu expects students, alumni, faculty, and friends to join the protest in support of the only two full-time core faculty members in the anthropology department.
The American Association of University Professors urged their reinstatement in a letter sent on August 11. "The issue is currently in the hands of a faculty hearing board, which students have been told by the academic vice president will convene late this month," Hu said.
"It has circulated that the administration is seeking the dismissal of these two professors, and it was communicated by the AVP, when they were notified of their suspensions that the proceedings could possibly lead to termination," she added.
Martin said the investigation started after the university received a complaint against professors at the institution. However, students maintain that it was not against Shapiro or Chatterji.
Martin clarified that the investigation was going on and the authorities had received a number of complaints from current and former students against them. The university president has appointed a three-member faculty committee to conduct an inquiry and were given the authority to demand the removal of Shapiro or Chatterji.
"Once the committee makes a recommendation, a decision will be taken about the future of the professors, Martin said. However, he declined to give details of the nature of the complaints.
Martin said the authorities have deep compassion for the students and have appointed qualified adjunct faculty to replace the professors for now. It does not view the proposed protest negatively.
Last year, students and activists had organised a rally in front of the India [ Images ]n consulate in San Francisco, protesting the denial of entry to Shapiro to India. He has earlier visited India 30 times.
During Chatterji's fourteen years of service at the CIIS, there was only one grievance against her, of which she was fully exonerated, the protestors noted. Institute and faculty evaluation mechanisms have rated both the professors highly. A faculty committee promoted Chatterji from associate to full professor in 2009 and renewed Shapiro's contract in April 2011. Course evaluations of both the faculty have been from good to excellent.
While Chatterji's Kashmir work is not under investigation, the procedure did not allow her to conduct her human rights work this summer, according to a statement from protestors.
"In conjunction to the protest, we have been reaching out to the press, politicians, activists and academic networks, alumni and other allies for solidarity and support. We are hopeful that the awareness and support will allow our demands to be heard," Hu said.
A statement from the protesters noted, "Students of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Department at CIIS are enraged by the suspension of two highly distinguished professors. Since their suspension on July 19, the proceedings and the treatment meted out to them have had detrimental effects on the scholarly and advocacy work of both professors and students. Details of the allegations have not been revealed to the students, and a gag order has been imposed on the two professors. However, members of the CIIS administration have publicly aired their version of the facts as if they were uncontested. Further information will be available at the protest."
Chatterji has been threatened earlier before because of her work in Kashmir and on Hindu nationalism, and Shapiro has been vocal at the institute on issues of collaborative governance and academic freedom, the statement said.
MA and Phd students who have been affected because of the suspension. The overwhelming majority of students insist their studies continue with these two professors and around 35 students have retained legal representation with the Law Offices of Michael S Sorgen to pursue legal action against the institute.
"For the last three months, many students have tried to communicate and negotiate with administrators to protect our education, work, futures, and personal wellbeing. We have reached out to senior members of the institution for intervention into the process, which has diminished the quality of our education, but institute-wide disempowerment has left faculty hands tied. Many attempts at solidarity have been unsuccessful due to fear of retaliation," said protestors.
"Our options have been limited. Therefore we have chosen to bring our demands beyond the walls of CIIS to gain solidarity and support so our demands can be heard," they added.
GeorgeJoseph There are also rumours doing the rounds that Shapiro and Chatterji could have been suspended for their work on Kashmir. However, there is no confirmation on the same.
Though students said the professors were suspended since July 19, Jim Martin, director of communications at Continental Institute of International Studies, a private university, told rediff.com that the duo were on paid leave. "Lot of misinformation is going on about the issue. The work of the professors as regards to the Kashmir issue has nothing to do with this action. In fact the institute had only supported their work on Kashmir," he said.
According to student leaders, there's a gag order issued on the professors on speaking about the suspension. However, Martin denied any gag order.
Jessica Hu, one of the organisers of the protest, told rediff.com that students were unclear of allegations against the professors.
Hu expects students, alumni, faculty, and friends to join the protest in support of the only two full-time core faculty members in the anthropology department.
The American Association of University Professors urged their reinstatement in a letter sent on August 11. "The issue is currently in the hands of a faculty hearing board, which students have been told by the academic vice president will convene late this month," Hu said.
"It has circulated that the administration is seeking the dismissal of these two professors, and it was communicated by the AVP, when they were notified of their suspensions that the proceedings could possibly lead to termination," she added.
Martin said the investigation started after the university received a complaint against professors at the institution. However, students maintain that it was not against Shapiro or Chatterji.
Martin clarified that the investigation was going on and the authorities had received a number of complaints from current and former students against them. The university president has appointed a three-member faculty committee to conduct an inquiry and were given the authority to demand the removal of Shapiro or Chatterji.
"Once the committee makes a recommendation, a decision will be taken about the future of the professors, Martin said. However, he declined to give details of the nature of the complaints.
Martin said the authorities have deep compassion for the students and have appointed qualified adjunct faculty to replace the professors for now. It does not view the proposed protest negatively.
Last year, students and activists had organised a rally in front of the India [ Images ]n consulate in San Francisco, protesting the denial of entry to Shapiro to India. He has earlier visited India 30 times.
During Chatterji's fourteen years of service at the CIIS, there was only one grievance against her, of which she was fully exonerated, the protestors noted. Institute and faculty evaluation mechanisms have rated both the professors highly. A faculty committee promoted Chatterji from associate to full professor in 2009 and renewed Shapiro's contract in April 2011. Course evaluations of both the faculty have been from good to excellent.
While Chatterji's Kashmir work is not under investigation, the procedure did not allow her to conduct her human rights work this summer, according to a statement from protestors.
"In conjunction to the protest, we have been reaching out to the press, politicians, activists and academic networks, alumni and other allies for solidarity and support. We are hopeful that the awareness and support will allow our demands to be heard," Hu said.
A statement from the protesters noted, "Students of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Department at CIIS are enraged by the suspension of two highly distinguished professors. Since their suspension on July 19, the proceedings and the treatment meted out to them have had detrimental effects on the scholarly and advocacy work of both professors and students. Details of the allegations have not been revealed to the students, and a gag order has been imposed on the two professors. However, members of the CIIS administration have publicly aired their version of the facts as if they were uncontested. Further information will be available at the protest."
Chatterji has been threatened earlier before because of her work in Kashmir and on Hindu nationalism, and Shapiro has been vocal at the institute on issues of collaborative governance and academic freedom, the statement said.
MA and Phd students who have been affected because of the suspension. The overwhelming majority of students insist their studies continue with these two professors and around 35 students have retained legal representation with the Law Offices of Michael S Sorgen to pursue legal action against the institute.
"For the last three months, many students have tried to communicate and negotiate with administrators to protect our education, work, futures, and personal wellbeing. We have reached out to senior members of the institution for intervention into the process, which has diminished the quality of our education, but institute-wide disempowerment has left faculty hands tied. Many attempts at solidarity have been unsuccessful due to fear of retaliation," said protestors.
"Our options have been limited. Therefore we have chosen to bring our demands beyond the walls of CIIS to gain solidarity and support so our demands can be heard," they added.
A note from JAMMU KASHMIR COALITION OF CIVIL SOCIETY
November 2, 2010
On November 1, 2010, shortly after 5.10 am, Professor Richard Shapiro was denied entry by the Immigration Authorities in New Delhi. Richard Shapiro is the Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Anthropology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. He is also the life partner/husband of Angana Chatterji, who is the Co-convener of the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir (IPTK) and also Professor of Anthropology at CIIS.
Richard Shapiro, a US Citizen, has been accompanying Angana Chatterji, a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the US, to India since 1997, and has travelled here approximately thirty times. His area of work is not India or Kashmir, but focuses primarily on issues of race, class, gender, and alliance building in the United States, and discourses on power and subjectivity. He is not someone who has made India a “career,” but invested in thinking and learning through the various struggles that Angana has been a part of across India.
Since July 2006, Richard regularly travelled to Kashmir, and interacted with various human rights defenders, scholars, youth, to bear witness and learn from their experiences. He has been conscientious in not violating the conditions of his tourist visa. He has not participated in formal conferences, and has not conducted any applied research in Kashmir or in India. He also helped form a Jewish-Muslim Friendship Circle. Richard Shapiro had written an op-ed in 2009 and another in September 2010. These were analytical pieces based on articles and newspaper reports, and not on primary research that had been conducted by him. Any scholar can do that. This is a matter of academic freedom, and beyond the control of states and their desire to regulate thinking on the injustices they perpetrate.
This Monday, Richard Shapiro had travelled a long way from San Francisco to be with Angana Chatterji, who was traveling to Kashmir for work, to think and learn. When he first presented his passport to the Immigration Authorities, he was stamped an entry permit. Then, they started processing Angana Chatterji’s passport. She has been stopped regularly since the inception of IPTK in April 2008. As they paused over her passport, the Immigration Officer again asked Richard Shapiro for his passport. Then, he was informed that he may not enter India, and that the ban was indefinite. The Immigration Authorities insisted that Richard return immediately. They stamped “cancelled” on the entry stamp they had provided minutes ago. They did not stamp “cancel” on his visa. However, Professor Shapiro was not deported. His visa was not cancelled. The Immigration Authorities refused to pay for his return airfare. He was made to leave at 11.50 am that same morning. The Immigration Authorities refused to give any reason, while stating that Professor Shapiro had not been charged with anything.
While no charges were framed against Professor Shapiro, the persons at the airport were categorical in stating that he is not to return to India, impinging on his academic freedom, freedom of movement, and rights to travel with his legal partner, and visit his family in Kolkata.
The Government of India has initiated various “peace” processes and confidence building measures without the consent of the Kashmiri people. With friends like Richard Shapiro, we are able to think and learn together. This is what is urgently required to build an atmosphere in which Kashmiris are not isolated from new ideas, other worlds, from the friendship and hospitality offered by those who seek out a place that has been forsaken by so many. The ban on Professor Shapiro days before the visit of the US President speaks volumes to the arrogance of the Indian State. It is ironic too because the Government of India desires that the US Government grant more visas to Indians, even as it just evicted a US Citizen without warning or due cause.
The ban on Richard Shapiro also further seeks to intimidate and target Angana Chatterji and the work of IPTK with Parvez Imroz, Gautam Navlakha, Zahir-Ud-Din, Mihir Desai, and Khurram Parvez. JKCCS condemns this ban.
The ban on Richard Shapiro is also a ban on Kashmiris, condemning them to isolation.
The Indian state has targeted those that have been outspoken on injustices and military governance in Kashmir. Since 2008, Parvez Imroz and his family have been attacked in their home. Angana Chatterji and Zahir-Ud-Din have been charged under Section 505 of the Ranbir Penal Code, with writing to incite against the Indian State. Last week, Arundhati Roy has been threatened with charges of sedition. JKCCS condemns the attack on the home of Arundhati Roy in New Delhi, and the continued targeting of her stand on Kashmir, and the dangerous role being played by the mainstream Indian media in inciting violence against her.
These actions speak to the intent of the Indian State as it continues it impunity rule in Kashmir, with deliberate actions to isolate Kashmiris from the world and the world from Kashmiris. In the past, several academics and journalists have been banned from entering India, and numerous Kashmiri scholars, journalists, and activists have also been banned from leaving Kashmir to travel abroad.
Sincerely,
Adv. Parvez Imroz
President, JKCCS
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