After the controversy that has followed the decision of the Harvard University to abruptly terminate a few Summer Courses that Dr Subramanian Swamy was conducting at the campus as a visiting professor, I re-read his article in the Mumbai journal-DNA, dated July 16, 2011, captioned:"Analysis:How to wipe out Islamic terrorism", that has triggered the adverse action against him. Written within three days of the terrorist blast in Mumbai on July 13, 2011, Swamy's article seemed to have been driven by emotional reaction to the terrible terror act. One may differ with some extreme solutions the author has suggested to fight the menace of Islamic terrorism which, undoubtedly, posed a grave threat to India-its social, communal harmony and stability. It is true that the kind of strong, wide-spread condemnation should have emanated from the Muslim community is hardly visible. On the top of it, one hears voices in favour of Sharia, separate personal laws, firm opposition to Uniform Civil Code provided in the Constitution and repeatedly underlined by the Supreme Court; also, wide support for burqa, special quotas in jobs, education as well as financial packages as if backwardness and poverty is only confined to the minority community! All these factors are creating a pre-partition environment of special pampering and favouritism that ultimately resulted in the division of the country.
In this disturbing background and given the goals of Islamic fanatics to which Dr Swamy has referred in his article, the emerging scenario does seem alarming and not so innocuous. Hence, it would be suicidal to ignore Islamic terrorism, aided and abetted by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, al-Qaeda and other sundry radical outfits. The USA is itself a major victim of this menace. Hence, it appears that the Harvard University has over-reacted to Dr Swamy's unpalatable, blunt views, not politically correct and traditionally liberal. At any rate, his Summer Courses were limited to economics; they did not relate to Islamic terrorism, radicalism in Muslim societies or any analysis of Islam. Thus, shutting him out of Harvard on his non-economic opinions, hardly does any credit to the prestigious University's respect for the right of the freedom of expression. It is terribly saddening.
In this disturbing background and given the goals of Islamic fanatics to which Dr Swamy has referred in his article, the emerging scenario does seem alarming and not so innocuous. Hence, it would be suicidal to ignore Islamic terrorism, aided and abetted by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, al-Qaeda and other sundry radical outfits. The USA is itself a major victim of this menace. Hence, it appears that the Harvard University has over-reacted to Dr Swamy's unpalatable, blunt views, not politically correct and traditionally liberal. At any rate, his Summer Courses were limited to economics; they did not relate to Islamic terrorism, radicalism in Muslim societies or any analysis of Islam. Thus, shutting him out of Harvard on his non-economic opinions, hardly does any credit to the prestigious University's respect for the right of the freedom of expression. It is terribly saddening.
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