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To the faculty on unity
Guru VS was reminiscing about the unity of the faculty in standing up to a dastardly government lackey. Is his anecdotal account an exercise in euphemism? Is he hinting at the lack of unity among faculty today by remembering the unity that existed in those days? This theme of unity among faculty is what I would like to pick on in this post to start with and see where it goes.
When I crossed the line from being a student to a faculty in early 70s, the first thing I noticed was the mandatory need to be subservient. There was also a loose pecking order mainly based on bigotry rather than on intellectual superiority or even seniority. If one was a “Yes-Sir – No Sir- Three bags full Sir” sycophant, a smooth future in the College was more or less assured. If you showed signs of independent spirit, a modicum of courage to question the allegedly unquestionable authority or flashes of intellect that threatened the men above, they possibly could not fire you (if you had tenure) but your life could certainly be made miserable beyond belief. I have seen grown men reduced to tears out of sheer frustration. Three survival strategies prevailed at that time. The first is to play the fool, act as if everything is hunky-dory, put on your best kiss-ass face, kick the walls and curse yourself in private for being a wimp, work your butt off to find new avenues and get the hell out at the first opportunity. The second is to conform and be prepared to be yours truly for the rest of your miserable life in the hope that you will get your chance some day. The third is to keep fighting, seek solace elsewhere and go down to the end with or without any reward. Despite the tyrants and tyrannies, and some seriously flawed men in leading positions, there was one thing commendable in the College at that time – the unity among faculty! True – there were plenty of internal bickering and there were one too many bottom-feeders in frenzy, but when it came to a common cause, especially a worthy cause, there was unity! A good example is the heady times when the nascent MUTA came into existence.
When I started showing some interest in the College again in the early 90s, now as a visitor I was greeted with not one, but several rude shocks. The most revolting of these is the factionalism that has gone crazy! Factionalism has always existed in all walks of Indian life; it also existed in the College in those days. For example, couple of days after I joined as a Demonstrator, an academic staff from a neighboring Department asked a colleague in my presence whether I had affinities to a particular type of tree, an affectionate way of enquiring whether I was their kinsman! When he learnt that I was not, he was disappointed, but that did not prevent us from being good acquaintances (not friends) for a long time. The factionalism I saw after two decades was vicious and indecent. Several were wearing their caste affiliations like medals won for national service! It is true that colleges were and are still established purely to promote a particular caste in the name of affirmative action although they need “others” to service them. However, that was not the American College I knew. Its origins and goals as you all know very well were different.
Let us now take the religion. American College was a Christian college and to be more accurate, it is a Protestant Christian college. Nobody would deny that, but Christianity was not imposed on anyone, even on the so called Christians! It used to be a practice and it probably still is (unless this crisis has closed down the chapel) that all Protestant Christian members of the faculty will lead the morning prayers at least once or twice a semester. The chaplain produced a schedule and all involved picked up the bible and did their duty. When I joined the faculty, my number came up and I marched right into the chaplain’s office and asked him politely to take my name off the list. Naturally, he asked me why. I told him that I was a rotten bastard and did just about everything that Christianity told me not to do (of course I did not steal, rape or murder anyone) and did not think I was ready to tote the bible and preach my brethren. He told me if that is the case I will never be ready for the rest of my life. I again politely pointed out that it was my business and not his. We had an acrimonious discussion on what Christian life is, but he could not convince me. My tactless attempts to establish that Perumalsamy cleaning tables in the canteen was more Christian than many of my Christian colleagues deeply offended him. My name was taken off the chapel list the very next day and a friend told me now that I have kicked the dog I should expect it to bite! It did not and it never did for the next four years! That was the institution I left and what I saw after two decades was appalling. Not only the caste mattered, but it also had an unholy alliance with religion. I had the misfortune of listening to a pathetic story of a respected faculty member who has served the College all his life and was loved by students, humiliated with constant reference to him being a non-Christian. This was just one incidence and there were others equally bad or worse indicating that the true spirit, the sense of fair play, and the excellence of academic ambience in American College have all gone for a six!
What is it to do with unity among faculty? My contention is that the lack of unity you see today did not happen overnight. It was built block by block, painstakingly over a period, not only based on these major factors, caste and religion but also on others like greed, avarice and corruption. Factionalism with roots at department levels in small scale, coalescing with like-minded factions in other departments, fostering and fanning emotions, magnifying the differences and blocking reconciliatory processes must have led to the lack of unity you see today. I was told that the last Principal was trying hard to patch up these differences and reduce factionalism, but probably did not have enough time before this present crisis loomed up. The damage done over the past one or two decades to faculty integrity seems to have been enough to sustain the lack of unity through the present crisis.
Obviously some believe that the evil out there trying to swallow the College will one day succeed and when that happens they want to be sitting pretty. They have a motive and we do not have any choice except to fight them. Neutrals – somewhere in the Book it is said that one who is not with you is against you; I do not buy that! Neutrals would not have the guts to hurt you. In any case, it is not fair to compare people with worms; just ignore the neutrals and feel sorry for them if you can! I offer my sincere apologies to those who might have had a different experience and perspective from what I have said here. If you had the good fortune of working with exemplary men in an atmosphere of orgasmic bliss, I could do nothing but envy you. I also would give it you for the intra-factional unity shown in fighting this “B” and his cronies in the present crisis. How could I not, after seeing the photographs of all those men and women in euphoria?
Have you heard of WYTIWYG? What you teach is what you get! That in the context of the present crisis will be the next post! Blame it on Dharumi – he got me going!
RV
Sultanate of Oman
