Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP from Kerala Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal urging him to revoke the suspension laid down upon Dr. Gilbert Sebastian.
He called Sebastian's suspension, an attack on the academic freedom of teachers. "It is deeply worrying that the freedom of speech and thought is being curtailed in such a manner, especially within the walls of an educational institution", Viswam wrote in the letter.
Gilbert Sebastian is an assistant professor in the Department of International Relations and Politics at the Central University of Kerala. He was suspended on grounds of allegedly making remarks against the central government during a lecture, claimed Viswam.
In his letter, Viswam constantly spoke about debate, dissent, free thought, and creative freedom. He even equated Sebastian's suspension as a feature of a 'proto-fascist regime'.
"It is pertinent to observe that the persecution of people for espousing a view that may not find approval from the Government is a distinct feature of proto-fascist regimes, the subject of Dr. Sebastian's lecture", the letter read.
Apart from seeking a suspension removal, Viswam also urged that no coercive action be taken against Gilbert Sebastian.
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