Oh…and speaking of academic freedom, let’s read about Subramanian Swamy:

“Swamy then moved to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), teaching economics to students there, turning up at hostels to speak on politics and international issues and making a name for himself for his non-left views. He published what he called the ‘Swadeshi Plan’, arguing India didn’t need foreign aid and suggesting a market-friendly alternative to the Five-Year Plans.

With his approach, he said 10 percent growth rates were feasible, as were agricultural exports and a bigger defence budget. It was heresy. In March 1970, during the Parliament debate on the budget, then prime minister Indira Gandhi mentioned Swamy by name and dismissed him as a “Santa Claus with unrealistic ideas”.

Retribution was swift. At 5.15 pm on a December evening in 1972, Swamy was given a letter saying he had been sacked from IIT with effect from 5 pm. His wife, who taught mathematics, was also sacked. Swamy took IIT to court, eventually winning his case in 1991. He rejoined as a professor for one day and then resigned. He still has a case pending against IIT for a claim of salary arrears for the 1972-91 period, which he wants with 18 percent interest.”

(http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main51.asp?filename=Ne311211Coverstory.asp)

Hey, notice the last part of the quote? Let’s read it again:

” Swamy took IIT to court, eventually winning his case in 1991. He rejoined as a professor for one day and then resigned. He still has a case pending against IIT for a claim of salary arrears for the 1972-91 period, which he wants with 18 percent interest.”

Now let us find out one of the ways in which the Modi government is accused of interfering with the IITs:

“ The HRD Ministry denied a media report that said Shevgaonkar resigned after he was allegedly put under pressure from the HRD Ministry to accede to two demands–to provide the IIT ground for a cricket

academy Tendulkar allegedly wants to open and to pay nearly Rs 70 lakh to Swamy, a former IIT-D faculty member, as his “salary dues” between 1972 and 1981.“

(http://www.deccanherald.com/content/450237/iit-delhi-director-quits-over.html)

Let me get this straight. The brutal dictator Indira Gandhi fired Subramanian Swamy from IIT for having a dissenting opinion on the economy. The courts agreed that he had been unfairly fired. IIT has so far been refusing to pay his salary dues despite losing in court. And Modi government is destroying academic freedom by allegedly pressurizing IIT to speed up the process of giving compensation to Swamy who has waited around 43 years so far for justice…

Just 43 years? That’s way too little, no?