A merican university campuses erupted in protest last month over the conflict in Gaza. The pro-Palestine protests are still on and have since spread to Europe. These protests have raised fundamental questions about freedom of expression at universities. University administrators (often distinguished academics) have not been able to withstand pressure to silence the protesters. The voices of faculty, too, have been strangely muted.
In dealing with such protests, universities obviously need to strike a balance between allowing freedom of expression and maintaining order on campus. The American Civil Liberties Union has spelt out ground rules that nobody can quarrel with.
First, no viewpoint, however offensive, must be censored or disciplined. Secondly, no student or group should be targeted or intimidated in any way in the name of free speech.
Thirdly, universities can place restrictions on the time and place of protests so that the functioning of the university is not disrupted. Fourthly, the police must be called in only as a last resort. Lastly, campus leaders must not yield to political pressures.
It should not have been difficult for the university authorities to have allowed the protests subject to these rules. Sadly, the situation has got out of hand at many American universities, such as Columbia in New York. Police (including anti-terrorist squads in combat gear) have been called in to clear out encampments of students even where they were not disruptive of normal activities. The universities' response to the protests may be disappointing, but nobody should be overly surprised.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 16, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 16, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Climate change to put APAC GDP on thin ice with 41% melt by 2100
India alone could face 24.7% loss in GDP by 2070
More intelligence features will be available in Dec, confirms Apple
Apple will add the option to enable access to OpenAI's ChatGPT from within Writing Tools and Siri.
Centre readies plan to tackle zoonotic disease outbreaks
With outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, such as swine flu, Nipah virus, and bird flu, becoming more frequent and increasingly threatening human health, the Union government has prepared a crisis management plan (CMP) on animal health.
Rishabh Pant released by DC, SRH keeps Klaasen with highest-retaining amount
Flamboyant keeper-batter Rishabh Pant's nine-year association with Delhi Capitals officially ended on Thursday while South African Heinrich Klaasen, with ₹23 crore valuation, pipped none other than peerless Virat Kohli (₹21 crore) to emerge as the top-most retention for the upcoming IPL season.
Weak consumption hits Q2 ad revenue of media firms
A slowdown in the consumption economy has cast a shadow over traditional advertising revenue of media companies during the second quarter of financial year 2025 (Q2FY25), even as revenue from digital advertising continued to grow.
Musk's SpaceX now gets into the spy game
Pentagon needs what the firm offers to compete with China even as it frets over its potential for dominance, billionaire's global interests
Delhi's air quality 'very poor' on Diwali
Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate, remaining in the \"very poor\" category on Diwali, with levels expected to worsen to the \"severe\" category due to bursting of firecrackers at night.
Climate may keep changing long after humanity hits net-zero emissions
The world is striving to reach net-zero emissions as we try to ward off dangerous global warming. But will getting to net-zero actually avert climate instability, as many assume?
Anatomy of trade union: Collective bargaining realising strength
Over a century after India's first trade union Madras Labour Union was formed in Chennai by B P Wadia in 1918, the recent month-long strike by nearly 1,400 workers at a Samsung Electronics manufacturing unit near Chennai has put the spotlight back on labour unions in India.
Sensex, Nifty fall for second day on selling in IT shares, FII pullout
DOWNTURN Sensex intraday