BJP wants Arundhati Roy speech out of Calicut varsity textbook

In a letter to the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, state BJP president K Surendran said the essay questioned the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

2 min readThiruvananthapuramUpdated: Jul 29, 2020 10:17 AM IST

Arundhati Roy

The BJP in Kerala has petitioned Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, seeking withdrawal of Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy’s ‘Come September’ speech of 2002 from Calicut University’s textbook for the BA English course.

In a letter to the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, state BJP president K Surendran said the essay questioned the sovereignty and integrity of the country. “Dissent is brewing among academics and the general public against the inclusion of this speech, which is anti-national. Roy has stated that India has unleashed terror on the non-violent struggle for the independence of Kashmir. She was introduced by textbook editors Murugan Babu and Abida Farooqi as the sane voice who spoke against the hanging of Afzal Guru. The hanging was termed as a dark chapter in the history of the country,” he wrote.

Surendran said that Roy in her speech alleged that Hindus are fascists. “The text of the speech should be removed from the syllabus.”

The speech is included in the textbook ‘Appreciating Prose’, meant for the third semester of BA English Language and Literature. The syllabus was implemented last year and the text is slated to be taught in the ongoing third semester.

Dr Abida Farooqi, chairperson for the university board of studies, said the speech was recommended by a 10-member committee last year and attested by the Academic Council before being included in the syllabus. “The speech had appeared in periodicals. So far, none has raised any allegation against it. In the textbook committee also, nobody objected to its inclusion,” she said.

Calicut University Registrar Dr C L Joshi said no decision has been taken, and the Academic Council would take a decision after going through the issue. “We cannot say whether colleges have unofficially decided not to teach that speech,” he added.

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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