Lawyer Raya Sarkar, who has recently been in the news for her controversial Facebook list of ‘sexual predators’ from academia, was invited as the guest curator for Twitter handle @Genderlog India on Tuesday, 31 October.
The Twitter handle, which claims to “imagine equality”, and commits itself to discourse on women’s rights, gender and sexuality, is known to feature a guest curator every week.
Raya Sarkar was introduced by Genderlog as a ‘law student interested in prisoner's rights, reproductive rights, and anti-caste jurisprudence.’ Sarkar, clarifying the motive behind her Facebook list, said:
Sarkar’s clarification comes amid a huge backlash from academics and activists alike. The lawyer claims that it was her aim to specifically warn students from the most vulnerable sections of society, such as the Dalits, Adivasis and Bahujans. Further, she adds:
I am here to talk about sexual harassment in academia. And how institutions have failed students from all backgrounds.
Raising the pertinent issue of the culture of ‘recommendations’ in academia, that is, letters of recommendation by professors which facilitate higher studies, Sarkar says:
Sarkar goes on to say that caste, disability, religion, or even one’s opinions could often prevent one from getting such recommendations. She observes that if the educator doesn’t like his/her student “speaking truth to power” then said student would certainly not avail of these ‘academic benefits’. As Sarkar says:
It is very easy to come up with a reason for not recommending someone.
Sarkar then asks:
DBA here, refers to Dalits, Bahujans and Adivasis.
Taking a shot at the feminists and public intellectuals invoking “due process” to be followed to deliver justice to sexual predators rather than to “name and shame”, Sarkar says:
To all those who have asked Raya Sarkar as to whether her arguments against alleged sexual harassment within academia are centred around marginalised students, the lawyer says:
What does Sarkar attribute injustice against women to? – “Brahminism and its power nexus.”
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