Academic freedom shrinking in a climate of fear

THESE days, whenever I reflect on my academic life, I feel that I have been immensely lucky. For more than three decades, I taught, delivered lectures, spoke in seminars and wrote on culture, politics, society and education. Nobody's 'sentiments' were hurt; no FIR was filed; and, above all, nobody from the judiciary cautioned me about the content or the style of writing. Of course, not everybody agreed with my worldview. There were sharp differences, arguments and counter-arguments. Yet, at the end of the day, I could sit with the leftists, rightists, nationalists, postmodernists, Ambedkarites and feminists in the university cafeteria, laugh, crack jokes and share articles and books. Indeed, I cherished my freedom because I also wanted the freedom of my philosophic opponents.