Last week, more than 500 scientists and academics wrote to the Indian institute of Science (IISc) criticising its administration for prohibiting a discussion on the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. In response, the director of a different research institute, the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) at Mohali, Punjab, issued a show cause notice to two faculty members at his institute who had signed the letter to the IISc.
As a signatory of the letter, this writer would like to explain why it is important for scientific research institutions to encourage social and political discussions, rather than seeking to shut them down like the IISc and IISER administrations have done.
Scientific research institutes are part of the broader society; and so their members have the same constitutional right as others to participate in social discussions. Researchers at such institutions are offered the leisure and the training to pursue critical inquiry into a variety of subjects. This privilege, which relies on the public support that these institutions receive, means that they have an added responsibility to educate and express themselves on matters of public interests. For scientific researchers to fail to stand up for justice, especially at a time of great social turmoil, would be an abdication of this responsibility.
