Varsities vital for making socially empathetic humans: DU prof

Refuting the charge that the JNU students were "wasting taxpayers' money", a Delhi University professor today asked those questioning their patriotism to evaluate them and their patriotism on the basis of quality of work they do for the weaker sections of the society.
"Universities have the responsibility much deeper than just to create a workforce, it should create humans.University gives us an opportunity to rise above our personal problems and think about the nation and its problems and ways to solve them," Professor of Sociology at DU Satish Deshpande said.
He was addressing a gathering of JNU students and teachers at the varsity's administrative block.

"University is not bricks and stones, it is made of people like us who ask questions and try honestly to find answers to those questions. It is important for the students to develop a world view and be more empathetic to others' concerns and universities develop that," he added.
Deshpande was speaking on 'Worldview, University and Nation', the 19th lecture in the series of lectures by JNU Professors and eminent personalities on "nationalism" being held at JNU following the arrest of three students in a sedition case over an event against hanging of Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Deshpande rejected the allegations that the JNU students were "wasting taxpayers' money", saying their patriotism lies in the quality of work they do for the weaker sections of society.

"We don't have to raise slogans like 'Bharat Mata ke Jai' to prove our patriotism. Sloganeering is not enough, you should do concrete work for the country. They should evaluate us and our patriotism on the basis of what we do in this university, the kind of work and researches that we do and for whom (the weaker sections)," Deshpande said.
Later in the day, Economist Venkatesh Athreya spoke to the students and lauded them for their struggle against "communal fascism and corporate Hindutva".

An alumnus of IIT Madras, Athreya said JNU embodies in it the culture of questioning things, an important element for any society's well-being.
"IIT taught me to answer question and not to question things. But what you have here is a wonderful struggle and my heart is with JNU.
"Country would be very poor without JNU. We will fight not for one JNU but for a thousand JNUs," he added.
Athreya also voiced his support for a more inclusive democracy in India.
"We want and celebrate plurality and democracy. But democracy not just in the electoral sense, but the sense in which (B R) Ambedkar talked about."

Meanwhile, the ABVP, which is locked in an ideological battle with left backed outfits on campus, organised a "kavi sammelan" to commemorate the sacrifices of those who became martyrs for the country.