Check Hindutva Patriarchy: Prof. Akeel Bilgrami writes to the Chief Minister of Kerala
(This is the text of the open
letter written by the eminent philosopher Prof. Bilgrami, who was
honoured by the Government of Kerala a few years back, to Com. Pinarayi
Vijayan, on the Hadiya case)
Dear Mr. Vijayan,
You may not remember me from a couple of years ago when you and
Prof. Pannikar were kind enough to award me the Social Science Research
Prize and attend my lecture on that occasion in Trivandrum. I write out
of the blue now —an impertinent liberty— to urge you to intervene in the
case of Hadiya where an important constitutional right to choose one’s
religion is being violated since, as is well-known, there was absolutely
no force exercised upon her in her conversion. Both Hindutva mischief
and patriarchal attitudes are at play in her plight and they need to be
strongly resisted. Moreover it seems to me that the NIA’s being
allowed to play a role in this matter is a deplorable interference in
the the state of Kerala’s autonomy in the federal system of governance
to which our country is committed, and should also be resisted.
Won’t you please lead the way on this —your voice, speaking out
on all these issues and your support of Hadiya from your position of
authority as Chief Minister, will make all the difference.
With my very best wishes,
Akeel Bilgrami
Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy,
Professor, Committee on Global Thought,
Columbia University,
Tel: 212 316 3458
Fax 212 854 4986
Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy,
Professor, Committee on Global Thought,
Columbia University,
Tel: 212 316 3458
Fax 212 854 4986
