Sena’s Literary Pursuit

Aditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena’s new cub, engineers another shameful act of censorship

When 20-year old Aditya Thackeray, grandson of Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray and a final year student of history at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College, stormed into the office of the Mumbai University’s vice chancellor (VC), the occupant of the chair Dr Rajan Welukar stood up and greeted him. When the still standing VC was issued a 24-hour ultimatum to drop a 1990 Booker Prize-nominated novel from the second year BA curriculum, he meekly acquiesced.

The reason for Rohinton Mistry’s novel Such A Long Journey (read extracts) becoming an eyesore for the Thackeray scion is that it “contains extremely vulgar and obscene language about the Shiv Sena”. Interestingly, Aditya has not read the novel but has been shown the ‘relevant passages’ by activists of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS), the student’s wing of the saffron party. Armed with scattered information about the book, Aditya walked into the VC’s cabin and demanded a ban. The book has been a part of the syllabus since 2007.

Until that moment that Aditya barged into the VC’s cabin, even the latter had not read Mistry’s book. Yet, Welukar assured Aditya that the book would be dropped from the syllabus with immediate effect. Using his discretionary powers, the VC called for an emergency withdrawal of the novel. “The VC was shown the passages from the book. That’s all. And he bans the book,” says a university source. Welukar issued notices to all the colleges under the university’s jurisdiction to drop the offending book from the syllabus.

However, Aditya did not stop here. He was not happy with a mere ban. He further demanded that professors who selected the book as part of the prescribed syllabus should not be involved in any more university work. Despite repeated attempts, Welukar refuses to comment on the controversy. Sources tell Open that some teachers of the English department are extremely agitated with the Sena threat, as they fear that there may be reprisals. “They fear that the VC may reveal to the Sena the names of those who recommended the book, and they will be attacked. No one dares talk because it is the Sena which is involved,” says an English department source. In the past, three years since the book was introduced into the curriculum, there have been no complaints about the book.

Prior to being appointed as the university’s VC, Welukar was VC of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. His appointment was shrouded in controversy, as many objected to it. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed at the Bombay High Court by the VC of Rajasthan University, AD Sawant (a former pro VC of Mumbai University), challenging the appointment. Sawant’s contention is that Welukar is a “mere lecturer and not a professor as per UGC norms”. Sawant also says that Welukar has not served as a guide to any PhD student.

Two other PILs have also been filed on the same issue.

Such A Long Journey, set in the backdrop of events of 1971, chronicles the story of Gustad Noble, a Parsi born in Bombay’s Byculla area, and his personal struggle with what is right and wrong. The principal of St Xavier’s College (where Aditya is a final year student) Father Frazer Mascarenhas SJ, has taken on his student and questioned the rationale of the ban. In a notice put up on the college website, he has expressed his displeasure at the decision to withdraw the book just because it carries a few passages critical of the Sena’s violent ways. ‘The book in question has not evoked any controversy in civil society and is considered an example of excellent literature, recounting life as lived by men and women of our time,’ says the notice.

About The Author

Haima Deshpande