Scientists need to stand by students and their fiends from different religions. Why haven't they not?
In the wake of dystopian events that unfolded last evening at Jamia Milia Islamia, students all across India have organized protests and marches today. IIT Bombay organized a march late in the night, TISS-Bombay, IIT-Madras, BHU, Hyderabad's MANU, AMU along with IISc have reverberated dissent against this barbarism. This is different from the protests civilians are holding all across India. Evidently, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) - 2019, passed with majority in both houses is simply unacceptable by the general public. And why not? Week before last, news was filled with stories of rape and murder of women. In the following week, the parliamentary houses passed the CAA in a rush I wish they'd show for the safety of women or/and climate change!
Although I should blame everyone equally for their silence on this, my maximum disappointment lies in silence of scientists. CAA categorically excludes Muslims from seeking Indian citizenship if they have migrated from any neighboring countries. Not only is it unconstitutional, it is against the scientific temper of the nation which is already suffering at the hands of self proclaimed god-men and fake news. What good comes out by justifying one's religion to government and why? Isn't science for everyone? Isn't that why scicommers reach more and more students and not think of their religion even for once? What makes you think that religion effects one's research and lab work?! Your silence is a testament to one or both of the two things. Either you simply don't care to what happens to people around you. And/or it reeks of a eugenic mindset - I am smarter because of my race so let the other race be damned. Either way, we are doomed.
If I am to give the scientists a benefit of doubt, they might be simply scared for their jobs or grants etc. It is only human. The only problem here is that science is marketed to everybody with fancy phrases like evidence based learning, critical thinking and accepting a new idea if scientifically sound. In schools and colleges, stories of scientists who stood their ground (like Galileo), persecuted and later proven to be right are told fondly so that the audience understands evidence based conclusion, critiquing everything and be humble when presented with counter evidence. Either don't paint this self-respecting picture or live by it.
And as usual, most Indian researchers have tried to distance themselves when it comes to political issues and turn mute when the government becomes hostile like right now. So many historical examples show the destructive effect of politics resulting in the loss of valuable researchers for a country either to death or to other countries where they made a name for themselves. I will try to compile stories I've heard for a quick revision for anyone in doubt about this. The burden of their silence will be borne by their contemporaries unless they qualify the "Indianness" test.
As far as I am concerned, there should be no such test in the first place. Period.
Although I should blame everyone equally for their silence on this, my maximum disappointment lies in silence of scientists. CAA categorically excludes Muslims from seeking Indian citizenship if they have migrated from any neighboring countries. Not only is it unconstitutional, it is against the scientific temper of the nation which is already suffering at the hands of self proclaimed god-men and fake news. What good comes out by justifying one's religion to government and why? Isn't science for everyone? Isn't that why scicommers reach more and more students and not think of their religion even for once? What makes you think that religion effects one's research and lab work?! Your silence is a testament to one or both of the two things. Either you simply don't care to what happens to people around you. And/or it reeks of a eugenic mindset - I am smarter because of my race so let the other race be damned. Either way, we are doomed.
If I am to give the scientists a benefit of doubt, they might be simply scared for their jobs or grants etc. It is only human. The only problem here is that science is marketed to everybody with fancy phrases like evidence based learning, critical thinking and accepting a new idea if scientifically sound. In schools and colleges, stories of scientists who stood their ground (like Galileo), persecuted and later proven to be right are told fondly so that the audience understands evidence based conclusion, critiquing everything and be humble when presented with counter evidence. Either don't paint this self-respecting picture or live by it.
And as usual, most Indian researchers have tried to distance themselves when it comes to political issues and turn mute when the government becomes hostile like right now. So many historical examples show the destructive effect of politics resulting in the loss of valuable researchers for a country either to death or to other countries where they made a name for themselves. I will try to compile stories I've heard for a quick revision for anyone in doubt about this. The burden of their silence will be borne by their contemporaries unless they qualify the "Indianness" test.
As far as I am concerned, there should be no such test in the first place. Period.
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