Academia and the Regimes: On being Perplexed about ‘Political’ Structure

Abstract

This essay attempts to question the academics‟ systematic responses to and, denial of, the contemporary nexus of nation-state, corporation and military agencies, with special reference to the sub-continental nations. The initial provocation is formed as I have been experiencing a series of prolonged expressions by academics, mostly in public domains but in „informal‟ discussions. Surrounding a gut sense of discomfort about the governing policies and actions, yet with insufficient energy for dismantling them, some of the expressions may be reformulated as: “Why is this happening in a democratic nation like ours? Aren‟t we an electoral system then?”, or, with evidently more helplessness, “(I/we) can‟t even imagine that this government is doing such things.” The sub continental nations, however, cannot weigh similarly when it comes to the respective electoral systems or in reference to what is believed to be the „democratic structure.‟ While India has long been considered a democratic nation, Pakistan, with its overt military history, has not. On the other hand, Bangladeshi authority has lost its credibility to the global audience, or to some part of it, by not being able to bring the opposition to poll. It, then, would be safe to consider the academics‟ discussions about and around India, Bangladesh, and West Bengal. But Mr. Donald Trump, while presiding the United States, could not but barge into this, unknowingly though it seems. I need to note again that I am here concerned about the „public discussions‟ by the academics. Writing in „academic‟ journals has always been a different practice and needs to be analysed distinctively.