Latest news with #BanishthePoets
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Outrage over arrest of Ashoka varsity professor
NEW DELHI: The arrest of Dr Ali Khan Mahmudabad, associate professor at Ashoka University, by Haryana Police has drawn sharp criticism from the students and the faculty. His detention on Sunday has sparked concerns over the erosion of academic freedom in India. The varsity's faculty association and student community issued a joint statement demanding Dr Mahmudabad's immediate release, calling the arrest a 'blatant violation of academic freedom.' Students from his course Banish the Poets praised him for creating a safe space for critical thinking and open expression. 'Professor Khan not only taught compassion, justice, and freedom of thought—he lived them,' the statement read.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Stark violation' of academic freedom: Students, professors back Ashoka University professor
SONIPAT: Students of Ashoka University has come forward supporting their professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, terming his arrest as a stark violation" of not just academic freedom, but of the very principles he taught them and stood for. Teachers from different universities have also come out in support. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at the Sonipat-based university, was arrested for his social media posts on Operation Sindoor. The students also joined the call for his immediate release, terming Mahmudabad's arrest "wrongful". A Sonipat court on Tuesday sent Mahmudabad to judicial custody till May 27. Haryana Police arrested Mahmudabad, the head of Ashoka University's political science department, on Sunday after two FIRs were registered against him, alleging his social media post on Operation Sindoor endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the country. The FIRs were lodged at the Rai police station in Sonipat district -- one based on a complaint by the chairperson of Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other on a complaint by a village sarpanch. On Sunday, the faculty association of Ashoka University condemned Mahmudabad's arrest and demanded his immediate release. Coming out in support of Mahmudabad, the students of the varsity said in a statement on Monday, "We, the students of the course 'Banish the Poets', stand firmly united and in solidarity with our professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad." Throughout the course, professor Khan lectured on love, consistently emphasising secular values such as reason, compassion, justice and freedom of thought as the foundations for meaningful dialogue. "His wrongful arrest is a stark violation of not just academic freedom, but of the very principles he taught us and stood for. Mahmudabad emphasised the power of the written word and encouraged them to speak," the students said. He encouraged us to share our truths, and to hold space for each other. It was under his guidance and in the space created by his lectures that many of us felt emboldened to speak, share, write, enjoy and appreciate the safety and sanctity of that space. "The principles of compassion, justice and freedom he believed in were not something he only taught or preached; he lived them, and in doing so, he helped us live them more truly," the statement said. The students said Mahmudabad always taught them to question everything and form their own opinions. He also taught us to never express disrespect towards our nation and its Constitution, they said in the statement, adding that Mahmudabad remained one of the most "articulate", "passionate" and "intelligent" educators they came across. Calling Mahmudabad a "principled academic, a brilliant orator, a kind mentor and a brave academic", the students said, "We are beyond fortunate to have learnt from him. Earlier, the faculty association of the university in a statement strongly condemned Mahmudabad's arrest on "groundless and untenable charges".
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Professor Mahmudabad lectured on love, secular values': Ashoka University students slam his arrest
Students of Sonipat-based Ashoka University have shown their solidarity with associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was arrested by the Haryana Police on Sunday after two FIRs were registered against him, alleging his social media posts on Operation Sindoor endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the country. On Sunday, the faculty association of Ashoka University condemned Ali Khan Mahmudabad's arrest and demanded his immediate release. Terming the arrest as a 'stark violation' of not just academic freedom, but of the very principles he taught them and stood for, the students of the varsity said in a statement on Monday, "We, the students of the course 'Banish the Poets', stand firmly united and in solidarity with our professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad. "Throughout the course, professor Khan lectured on love, consistently emphasising secular values such as reason, compassion, justice and freedom of thought as the foundations for meaningful dialogue. His wrongful arrest is a stark violation of not just academic freedom, but of the very principles he taught us and stood for.' The students added that Mahmudabad emphasised the power of the written word and encouraged them to speak. 'He encouraged us to share our truths, and to hold space for each other. It was under his guidance and in the space created by his lectures that many of us felt emboldened to speak, share, write, enjoy and appreciate the safety and sanctity of that space. The principles of compassion, justice and freedom he believed in were not something he only taught or preached; he lived them, and in doing so, he helped us live them more truly,' the statement said. The students also joined the call for his immediate release, terming Mahmudabad's arrest "wrongful". The Haryana Police arrested Mahmudabad, the head of Ashoka University's political science department, after two FIRs were registered against him. The FIRs were lodged at the Rai police station in Sonipat district – one based on a complaint by the chairperson of Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other on a complaint by a village sarpanch. The May 12 notice mentioned that the panel has taken suo motu cognisance of the "public statements/remarks" made "on or about May 7" by Mahmudabad. "We salute the country's daughters -- Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. But the kind of words the professor who teaches political science has used for them... I expected that he would at least present himself before the commission today and express regret," Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia had said. The associate professor described the media briefings by Army colonel Qureshi and IAF's wing commander Vyomika Singh as "optics". "But optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it's just hypocrisy," he had said. The Congress, CPI(M), AIMIM and Trinamool Congress have also denounced the police action against Mahmudabad, who maintained that his comments were "misunderstood", asserting that he only exercised his fundamental right to freedom of speech. (With inputs from PTI)
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Demand Ashoka stand with our professor: Students of Ali Khan Mahmudabad
Gurgaon: Support poured in on Monday for Ali Khan Mahmudabad from his university, with his students joining calls for his release after the faculty association's unequivocal backing on Sunday. The students also released a note demanding that " Ashoka University stand with our professor". The university had distanced itself from Mahmudabad's May 9 post on Operation Sindoor for which the associate professor was arrested on Sunday after Haryana Women's Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia filed a police complaint, alleging the post maligned the military and disparaged women in the armed forces. On Monday, as more and more people questioned what was offensive about his post – and pointed out that it had, in fact, praised the Indian Army and backed govt's actions against Pakistan – Mahmudabad's students who are taking his 'Banish the Poets course wrote in a statement he had "throughout the course, lectured on love, consistently emphasising secular values such as reason, compassion, justice, and freedom of thought as the foundation of meaningful dialogue". "His wrongful arrest is a stark violation of not just academic freedom, but of the very principles he taught us and stands for," they added. One of the students this reporter spoke to on Monday said the joint statement "highlights the professor's impact in the classroom". According to the students, Mahmudabad taught them the passion of the written word and encouraged them "to speak, to share our truths, and to hold space for each other". His persistent questioning, according to a student, echoed through the class, prodding them to introspect on how to become better human beings and treat others with kindness. With the semester having ended, this course is now over, but the students said they continue to feel strongly connected to not just what they learnt and discussed in class but also to Mahmudabad.
Scroll.in
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Ashoka University students demand professor's release, call arrest ‘wrongful'
A day after Ashoka University Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad was arrested, his students described the action as 'wrongful' and demanded his release. Mahmudabad, the head of Ashoka University's political science department, was on Sunday remanded to police custody for two days for his comments about the press briefings on Operation Sindoor. In a statement shared on social media by Arpita Das, who also teaches at the university, the students from Mahmudabad's course – Banish the Poets – said his arrest violated 'not just academic freedom, but…very principles he taught us and stands for'. @Mahmudabad 's students this semester have written a beautiful and strong message in solidarity with their beloved professor. The class was called Banish the Poets. Have a read! Faculty and students, we all stand in solidarity with him. — Arpita Das (she/her) (@arpitayodapress) May 19, 2025 The students stated that Mahmudabad 'never expressed any disrespect for the nation or the Constitution, nor did he ever teach us such disrespect'. Throughout the course, 'professor Khan lectured on love, consistently emphasising secular values such as reason, compassion, justice, and freedom of thought as the foundation of meaningful dialogue', they added. Demanding his release, the students said the university should stand by him, 'for him and the ideals he embodies, we harbour hope'. Case against the professor Mahmudabad has been booked in two cases for his comments about the media briefings on the Indian military operation against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir initiated in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. One of the cases was filed based on a complaint by Yogesh Jatheri, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Yuva Morcha unit in Haryana. The second case was filed on the basis of a complaint by Renu Bhatia, the chairperson of the Haryana State Women's Commission. Mahmudabad faces charges under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to acts prejudicial to maintaining communal harmony, making assertions likely to cause disharmony, acts endangering national sovereignty and words or gestures intended to insult a woman's modesty among others. On May 8, in a social media post, Mahmudabad had highlighted the apparent irony of Hindutva commentators praising Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had represented the Army during the media briefings about the Indian military operation. 'Perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the Bharatiya Janata Party's hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens,' he had said. Mahmudabad had said that the optics of the press briefings by Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh were important, 'but optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it's just hypocrisy'. The Haryana women's panel had accused the professor of attempting to 'vilify national military actions'. Renu Bhatia said that he ignored the panel's summons on May 14. She further said that when the commission visited the university on May 15, he did not appear before it. Mahmudabad, however, said that he only exercised his fundamental right to freedom of speech in order to promote peace and harmony. The professor maintained that his remarks had been ' completely misunderstood ' by the commission and that its notice failed to highlight how his posts were 'contrary to the right of or laws for women'. On Monday, the Supreme Court accepted a request for an early hearing of a petition by Mahmudabad. Advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the case before a bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih. Sibal told the court that cases were filed against the professor for 'an entirely patriotic statement' on the operation by the Indian armed forces.
