Mumbai University drops TYBA Marathi poem

MUMBAI: Mumbai University has once again buckled under political pressure. At a seven-member board of studies (BoS) meeting on Saturday, a contentious poem 'Paani Kasa Asta' by award-winning poet Dinkar Manwar was dropped from the TYBA (Marathi) syllabus. Manwar compared water with breasts of an Adivasi girl, sparking protests across the university's jurisdiction. A circular, withdrawing the poem from the syllabus, was issued on Saturday evening.

The Marathi poem compares the colour and nature of water to several things. A line in the third paragraph reads Kivnha aadivasi porichya stanasaarkha jhambla (Or purple like the breasts of an Adivasi girl). Chatrabharti Vidyarthi Sena (CVS) and Yuva Sena on Friday met university officials, demanding its withdrawal from the syllabus. Yuva Sena, led by Aditya Thackeray, was also instrumental in getting Rohinton Mistry's book, 'Such a Long Journey', removed from the SYBA syllabus in the past.

A university official said most BoS members were not keen on omitting the poem, but they also had to ensure that no one's sentiments were hurt and it should not lead to any untoward incident. Pro-VC Ravindra Kulkarni attended Saturday's meeting. "Some Adivasi groups threatened a protest on Monday. The university is not keen on inviting trouble. So we unanimously decided to withdraw the poem. We do not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments and one of the lines in the poem could be objectionable for many," said the official. But most educationists felt it was an attack on academic independence and the university should not succumb to such pressure.

While 55 of 56 poems from Manwar's compilation 'Drushya Naslelya Drushyat' will continue to be part of the syllabus, the contentious one 'Paani Kasa Asta' will be omitted. The university circular stated that the poem prescribed under 'Literature and Society' in the metropolitan literature section (along with feminism, dalit and rural literature) will be omitted and no questions will be asked from it in any exam.

Manwar, a government employee, refused to comment on the issue, said an associate.

Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad has demanded a public apology and will protest on Monday.