11 months ago
IIT-BHU Cancels Gauhar Raza Talk After Faculty Pressure
Imagine a famous poet and scientist named Gauhar Raza was going to give a talk at a school.
The talk was about how science, stories, and big ideas connect.
But, someone at the school didn't want him to speak.
They pressured the people running the event, and the talk got canceled.
This made the scientist think about how this is similar to things happening in other places where people can't express themselves freely because of objections.
He feels this can be like what is happening in other countries, such as Pakistan.
Gauhar Raza was scheduled to give a virtual lecture at IIT-BHU.
The talk was on 'Confluence of Literature, Science and Consciousness.'
The IIT-BHU Lit Club organized the event.
The event was canceled due to objections from a faculty member.
Raza noted similarities to events in Bengal where speakers faced opposition.
- Who
- Gauhar Raza, a scientist and Urdu poet, was to give a lecture.
- What
- A talk by Gauhar Raza at IIT-BHU was cancelled.
- Where
- Indian Institute of Technology-BHU, Varanasi.
- When
- The talk was cancelled hours before it was scheduled to be held on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
- Why
- A faculty member objected to Raza's talk and pressured organizers to cancel the event.
Key facts
- Event
- Virtual lecture on the “Confluence of Literature, Science and Consciousness”
- Organizer
- IIT-BHU Lit Club
- Speaker
- Gauhar Raza, scientist and Urdu poet
- Reason for Cancellation
- Faculty member objection
- Raza's Profession
- Chief scientist with the National Institute of Science Communication
Quotes
Gauhar Raza
Scientist, Urdu poet, and social activist
“If the fundamentalists were involved in stopping this event, then there is no difference between this and what happened in Bengal with [poet-lyricist] Javed Akhtar.”
scroll.in
“[In the IIT-BHU case], if it was indeed an administrative intervention because somebody objected, then this is what has been happening in Pakistan.”
scroll.in
