- A BHU exam question on Brahmanical patriarchy sparked protests and social media debate
- Students and professors called the question inappropriate and targeting a community
- BHU vice-chancellor Ajit Chaturvedi said the issue will be addressed later
A question in the fourth paper of the MA History examination at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has sparked a storm at the prestigious central institution in Varanasi. The question, "How did Brahmanical patriarchy hinder the progress of women in ancient India?" has triggered a debate on social media and protests on the campus.
While some professors and students also staged protests and called the question flawed, the vice-chancellor has said he would address the matter later.
Several students have argued that the language used in the question is objectionable and appears to target a community. Registering their objections, several professors also deemed the question to be inappropriate.
Subhash Pandey, an astrology professor at the BHU, said that the question is baseless and that those who framed it have a Leftist mindset.
Subhash Pandey, astrology professor at the BHU
"Some new historians, inspired by Mughal history, write such things. In our culture, there has been no discrimination between men and women. Those who make such claims have not read our literature or are inspired by the Mughal history because women have been exploited the most during the Mughal era," he said.
The Kashi Vidvat Parishad, an assembly of scholars in Varanasi, has also raised questions regarding this issue.
Vinay Pandey, a professor at BHU and secretary of the KVP, has questioned the basis for such a question, asserting that the BHU does not support the framing of such questions.
As the controversy escalated, the university administration came under scrutiny. Vice-Chancellor Ajit Chaturvedi has refrained from making any direct comment and said that the matter would be addressed at a later stage.
A history professor at the university said that it is difficult to determine which historical period the question was intended to address. But, she too opined, such questions should not be included in examinations.
Anuradha Singh, professor in the Department of History, BHU
"The word 'Brahminical' refers to the manner in which Brahmin literature referred to the socio-economic and cultural status of women. If we already assume that their situation at that time was not right, then it is wrong, in my opinion," said Anuradha Singh, a professor in the Department of History.
"We must look into what is written in Brahmanical literature. As a student and a teacher, I find no evidence based on which I can say in a holistic way that the position of women in literature looks bad. So I believe that this type of statement should be avoided," she added.
Bhanu Pratap Singh, a student at the Centre for Women's Studies, said the question appears to be framed by a leftist professor. "Such questions tarnish the image of Banaras Hindu University. It shows that the leftist professors have taken it upon themselves to defame BHU, possibly using foreign-funded money. All students must raise their voices against the way they have used the word 'Brahman' with a biased mindset," he said.
The matter turned political with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleging that it was a "BJP strategy" to cook up such issues. "Some question paper has surfaced in BHU. Its questions are twisted. This is a well-thought-out strategy of the BJP. They get people defamed and then make them ask questions," he said.
(Inputs by Piyush Acharya)
