Mumbai: Xavier’s principal slams Guj model in email to students

[Yoda-esque]

Why do you say so? For a non Christian general category student getting into liberal Arts in Xaviers is extremely difficult. Its simply isn't an easy place to secure admission into. Arguably the best college in Mumbai for liberal arts. Have a look at the alumni list. Or the faculty over the years. Do you feel that all Arts students are "yuppie wannabes" or is this privilege reserved only for Xavierites?

Not talking about the stream but the air that most students there have. Speaking from my personal experience

[Mariyam]

Not talking about the stream but the air that most students there have. Speaking from my personal experience

Then you've met the wrong people.:D Having met a lot of Xavierites, I found them to be genuinely interesting people. And their festival Malhar is among one of the best college festivals in Mumbai. If you wish to, please share your (mal)experience(s). I'm all ears. It will make much more interesting reading that what currently is on the thread. The usual ghisa pita secularism/pseudo secularism/minority appeasement/ muslim appeasement/etc etc etc debates.

[ravishingravi]

Mumbai: Xaviers principal slams Guj model in email to students

Then you've met the wrong people.:D Having met a lot of Xavierites' date=' I found them to be genuinely interesting people. And their festival [i']Malhar is among one of the best college festivals in Mumbai. If you wish to, please share your (mal)experience(s). I'm all ears. It will make much more interesting reading that what currently is on the thread. The usual ghisa pita secularism/pseudo secularism/minority appeasement/ muslim appeasement/etc etc etc debates.

Yam, I do not disagree with Yodaesque point. It is a largely yuppies college. Yes there can be interesting yuppies lurking around there somewhere in that Khandar they call library. I am not a graduate from the college but attended one diploma course. Having said that, in case of this principal I have received lot of negative feedback from recent batches. Although to be fair, he is vocal about the present govt also. Sending mail was bad idea.

[Mariyam]

Yam, I do not disagree with Yodaesque point. It is a largely yuppies college. Yes there can be interesting yuppies lurking around there somewhere in that Khandar they call library. I am not a graduate from the college but attended one diploma course. Having said that, in case of this principal I have received lot of negative feedback from recent batches. Although to be fair, he is vocal about the present govt also.

Sorry ravish. I have to disagree. Unless the word "yuppie" means something different for the two of us. There is nothing yuppie in your average Xavierite. A good example of a yuppie and/or snobbish crowd would be Mithibai and HR. Xaviers alleged yuppieness pales in comparison.

Sending mail was bad idea.

Agree. It was very unethical and unbecoming of someone who is the head of an educational institution. The same way it is very unbecoming of a religious figurehead to advise people which way to vote.

[Yoda-esque]

Then you've met the wrong people.:D Having met a lot of Xavierites' date=' I found them to be genuinely interesting people. And their festival [i']Malhar is among one of the best college festivals in Mumbai. If you wish to, please share your (mal)experience(s). I'm all ears. It will make much more interesting reading that what currently is on the thread. The usual ghisa pita secularism/pseudo secularism/minority appeasement/ muslim appeasement/etc etc etc debates.

Watch JJWS ;) Opinions are mostly relative and depend on the milieu and socio-economic background.

[Muloghonto]

What this principle does not understand is that for a free-market economy to develop into a great distribution of wealth, it only ever happens through government controlled and tightly legislated resource-exploiting economies. All other forms of economic prosperity: industry and services, follows the model of 'extreme top end growth for a period of time before divesting in trickle-down effect'. In short, you cannot kickstart a worldclass economy easily without creating a few billionaires in the process while seeing small overall economic health, first.

[Crookbond]

Xavierites come out in support of their principal over the email slamming Gujarat model, even as BJP complains to the Election Commission. http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/In-Frazer-we-trust/articleshow/34126831.cms

Support poured in for St Xavier's College principal Fr Frazer Mascarenhas on Wednesday, a day after his email to the students slamming the Gujarat governance model snowballed into a political controversy, and took the social networking sites by storm. The hashtag #xaviers trended on Twitter the entire Wednesday, even as several Xavierites applauded their principal for "having the courage to stand up for his beliefs". Students uploaded Mascarenhas's pictures on Facebook with captions saying 'Proud to be Xavierites', while another group created a Twitter hashtag titled #In-FrazerWeTrust even as political parties, educationists, writers and religious leaders further fanned the controversy. The BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission on Wednesday, alleging the principal violated the code of conduct, while best-selling author Chetan Bhagat, a known Modi supporter, tweeted: "Wow, #xaviers. Gujarat is terrible, Food Security Bill is awesome. Go vote letter is on official college homepage!" :facepalm: Milind Deora, the Congress candidate from Mumbai South, tweeted in favour of the principal, and the party's student wing, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), "extended its gratitude to Mascarenhas for urging the students to choose well". Not just the politicians, the educationists too were split over the nature of the note. Marie Fernandez, principal of St Andrew's College, Bandra said, "I have highest respect for Fr Frazer. India is a democratic country and he is entitled to voice his opinion on any issue." However, Sunil Mantri, principal, N M College said issuing such statements officially was not the right thing to do. "He certainly shouldn't have uploaded the note on the college website," Mantri said. Mascarenhas's email, sent to several students on Tuesday was posted on the college website following which students began slamming/praising the principal on the social networking sites. While criticising Narendra Modi-ruled Gujarat for cultural polarisation, high dropout rate in schools and colleges and neglecting the tribals, Mascarenhas in his note urged students to vote for parties that work for 'inclusive development'. As the media hordes followed Mascarenhas throughout the day, he only repeated what he has been saying since Tuesday: "All I wanted to convey to students, many of whom are first-time voters, was to make an informed choice"; "I haven't named anyone"; "I have been critical of the UPA as well"; "No intention to influence anyone". Several students stood solidly behind their principal on Wednesday, insisting they routinely received emails from him, and that the timing/integrity of the latest communication should not be questioned. "Why should doubts be raised about the timing of the email? It was done in a transparent manner and is not a conspiracy against any individual or a party. He has only tried to place reality before students. The timing is, in fact," said a third-year mass media student, who didn't want her name in print. Another student said that the principal had every right to express his opinions and the note created a controversy only because the elections were on, while an ex-Xavierite posted on Facebook: "All I have to say is, my respect for Fr Frazer has grown tremendously in the last 24 hours, as he has yet again taken a stand that makes me proud to have been aXavierite." Not all are convinced Since the time the email became public on Tuesday, several students and ex-students took to Twitter and Facebook saying the principal should have merely concentrated on the 'don't-forget-to-vote' bit. One of them tweeted: "The principal of #xaviers can go stand in Cuffe Parade or Chowpathy Beach and voice his opinions as an individual. Not issue circulars." One of the students said the principal was trying to "influence students by using his authority". The student, who didn't want her name in print, said: "I respect Fr Frazer immensely but this email is a way to influence students by using his authority. The note doesn't make a difference to me as I have already made up my mind but it could influence many others." Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, director of Delhi-based Centre for Public Policy Research, a think tank dedicated to research on economic, political and social issues, slammed Mascarenhas for such "objectionable email". "He is entitled to his political opinions but to write a note to his students appealing to vote or not vote for a party is highly objectionable. As principal, he is likely to influence students; besides, it is unethical to use a professional position to propagate a political view. This amounts to gross violation of not only the election code of conduct but also the academic code of conduct. Not acceptable at all," Sahasrabuddhe said. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Bombay has come out in support of Mascarenhas, saying his note was "neutral" and "not at all politically motivated". Fr Anthony Charanghat, spokesperson for the Archdiocese, met Mascarenhas on Wednesday morning. "Fr Frazer hasn't mentioned a religion, nor has he talked about any political party in the note. There is no reference to any political leader either," Charanghat said. "He has simply put forward the facts derived from a sociology study," Charanghat added. According to Charanghat, it was a mandate from the university to all colleges to spread awareness about voting among the students. "It is really disturbing that the note has been twisted out of context even as it was extremely neutral and did not target anyone," he said. Members of the Christian community too have come out in support of Mascarhenhas. "It is amazing how no-one is talking about the issues that Fr Frazer has raised. Instead, people with vested interest have taken out a completely different meaning to it," said Dolphy D'Souza, former president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha.

[Crookbond]

Speak to us, not for us: students respond to media coverage of the St Xavier’s letter http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/xavieritesrespond

On April 22nd, 2014, Fr. Frazer Mascarenhas, S.J., Principal of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, posted a letter on the college’s official website (Read here.) In it, Fr. Mascarenhas, who also teaches a course in Anthropology of Development, dissected the “Gujarat model of development”. He warned against the dangers posed by an “alliance of corporate capital and communal forces coming to power”, and stressing the importance of a strong welfare state, ended by informing students to “choose well.” The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, claiming this was “an attempt to influence the minds of students”, and that it “violated the Model Code of Conduct.” A simultaneous campaign on electronic and social media alleged Fr. Mascarenhas had overstepped his authority. Unfortunately, all this is being said on behalf of students of St Xavier’s, without considering their views on the same. While we as alumni and students might not agree unanimously with Fr. Mascarenhas’ statement, or the method he chose to disseminate it, we strongly oppose the biased media reports and falsehoods propagated on social media, which are twisting this case beyond merit. Thus, we, students and alumni of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, wish to strongly bring home a few points: First, the insinuation that due to his position of authority, Fr. Mascarenhas’ email “coerces” students to oppose a particular political party is patently false. For one, he only attempts to present his perspective on what is at stake in this election and cautions his students to “choose wisely.” He does not advise them to choose “X party” or “Y party”. Given the multi-faceted propaganda most political parties engage in via newspaper advertisements, TV and radio spots, and opinion polls, it is far-fetched to believe that Fr. Mascarenhas’s email would have an overbearing effect on the ability of young voters to distinguish between political options, and choose whom to vote for, by themselves. That, in itself, infantilises students. Secondly, the reports carried by prominent dailies like the Mumbai Mirror and DNA feed into an increasingly polarized rhetoric. As some students have stated on public forums, the Mumbai Mirror article quoted only those students who had an overly critical view of the institution and of Fr. Mascarenhas.The DNA article cites an unnamed professor stating that Milind Deora had donated Rs 10 crore to the college, something that Deora’s office categorically refuted when contacted. It also said “more than 1,000 students…were in for a rude shock” upon reading Fr Mascarenhas’s email. The journalist does not name any student sources, nor does she cite any empirical basis for her claims. How many statements of students did the journalist base her statement on? 500? 600? This sort of journalism has contributed to a vicious campaign against the institution, which has now been hijacked by overtly communal voices. This brings us to our third point of concern, which is the distinctly communal overtones that this debate has taken, especially on social media, where it has transformed into a smear campaign. People have accused Fr. Mascarenhas of campaigning for a particular party and of serving an illicit Christian agenda. As alumni and students of St. Xavier’s, we assert that these allegations are baseless, false and misleading. This college has also been markedly apolitical over the years, with no unions affiliated with political parties, nor any student elections or sloganeering—circumstances that have often caused violent clashes in other college campuses in the country. We have seen no evidence of any “Christian agenda” by the Jesuits either. Is it merely because this email comes from a priest that we must assume it to be “Christian propaganda”? We refute the allegations above and condemn the propaganda that labels this issue as religious, sectarian and communal, for political gains. We ask: is a letter by the principal of a college exhorting students to “choose wisely” more biased than suspending one’s students for not attending a rally by a prominent national leader, as happened in Vadodara? In a time where academics and activists are voicing their political opinions, we appreciate Fr Mascarenhas’ nuanced, argumentative email. We also feel it imperative to affirm our belief in the right of educational institutions to express themselves freely, particularly in a scenario where freedom of speech is increasingly threatened. The BJP has extended a tenuous link between a college funded by a non-political arm of the government and the model code of conduct. We urge the Election Commission to acknowledge this separation. That said, one can, and indeed should, contest the arguments presented by Fr. Mascarenhas. His decision, far from “coercing” anyone, should foster debate and discussion, but definitely not censorship, and certainly not a media trial. What kind of elections are those where there are no public discussions about the relative merits of different agendas? Finally, we urge other St Xavier’s alumni, as well as alumni of other institutions, our peers, friends, critics, and members of the public, to refrain from engaging in personal and vitriolic campaigns that malign St Xavier’s College and its students. We urge you to call out those misleading facts on social media and social networks that needlessly polarise opinions, and result in a general stagnation of public discourse. We recognise that this issue can and should be dealt with in a reasoned, civil manner, through informed discussion and deliberation. We also understand that disagreement with viewpoints and support for the right to express them are not mutually exclusive. In fact, those are precisely the values we need to cultivate.

[someone]

Can't imagine teh reactions if some principal said Modi is teh best candidate to lead India and sent email to students :haha:

Good point. We all know what happened when Lata Mangeshkar had said something similar. And this is schools/university, we are talking about here, the principal really was very unprofessional.