WFY Today

Is academic freedom going down in Australia? Or is this specific to the Indian diaspora?

Melbourne-based Australia Institute is involved in a controversy after 14 academics from universities all over the country resigned over criticisms of the ruling government in India, as they said. Restrictions on academic freedom are a problem increasingly seen across academic institutions in Australia. In Australia.

Diasporas often become tied to specific agendas of their countries of origin and these can be fraught negotiations that became acute at times and political upheaval. In Australia, the Indian diaspora is exhibiting particularly concerning chauvinistic attitudes and mirroring the kind of discriminatory language and support for fundamentalist behavior seen escalating in India. Restrictions on academic freedom are a problem increasingly experienced in Australia.

The issue in Australia is larger than just in Australia India Institute, as the government funding has been cut, they had to depend on external income from industry and international students. The Australian government often asserts that India is a like-minded liberal democracy.

The Hindutva forces are active in the diaspora as they are in India and this has far-reaching consequences for the Indian diaspora around the world on issues concerning freedom of speech and the treatment of minorities.

Vinod Nair

V VInod Nair. Film Critic, Writer, Designer, Blogger, photographer Former Visualiser with Indian Express Newspapers Ltd, former Special Info-Graphic Designer with The Times of India. Contributor, film critic The TImes of India. Freelance journalist.

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