Southern Africa

Left Academics and Writing of Indian History THIS is with reference to the article entitled "Devaluation of Marxism by Left Academicians" in your issue of April 8, 1978. In this article Su- manta Banerjee makes a slanderous attack on the Centre for Historical studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and accuses the Centre of not doing what it was never intended to do. The CHS was not set up to foster Marxist research. The guidelines for the Centre were to encourage research into the social and economic history of India, an aspect of Indian history which is generally neglected in post departments of Indian history. The Centre functions within a liberal framework accommodating both Marxist and non-Marxist opinion. No claims to being a centre of Marxist research have ever been made, If Banerjee has an axe to grind with certain members of the Centre he should say so openly and not make allegations against the CHS which are patently false. We, the Faculty of the CHS, deplore this attempt at vilification by resorting to statements which are totally incorrect. No member of the CHS has ever been accused of administrative irregularities. It may be pointed out that the JNU does not have affiliated colleges, where Faculty appointments can be made, nor do members of the CHS sit on selection committees for such appoint- ments in colleges in Delhi or elsewhere. once the question of denying opportunities to students does not arise. Neither has any member of the CHS been hounded out from the Centre. There have been no complaints in the Centre about favouritism on the part of the academic heads in the making of appointments nor of the Faculty in deciding scholarships, and there have been enough opportunities for such complaints to have been made, including the recent enquiry by the Chancellor, Morarji Desai.