Teen Murti Bhavan, where the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is locatedThe following is an open letter released by a group of scholars, academics, writers and journalists calling for the protection of spaces for democratic discussion, dissent and minority views:We, university teachers, research scholars, students and concerned academics who have used the resources of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), commend the outgoing director Dr Mahesh Rangarajan for his outstanding work at this institution over the last four years. Dr Rangarajan belongs to that breed of institutional heads who function as great facilitators. They allow a diverse range of people with a plurality of perspectives to inhabit a space of academic research and intellectual exchange, expand the resources available to them, and give them full scope to re-work disciplinary boundaries. As the Director of NMML, Dr Rangarajan was easily accessible to all; he was a man to whom trees, birds, buildings, sanitation and many other little details mattered as much as books, papers, and high quality academic interaction. His was a rare, hands-on yet self-effacing leadership, which revitalised NMML’s connection with university teachers and young scholars and opened up its activities to a wider public, while respecting the mandate governing the functioning of this institution.At the outset, a widespread, and sometimes deliberate misconception has to be corrected. It is unjustified to assume that if a research institution is named after a particular individual – in this case Jawaharlal Nehru – the entire body of research and public activity around it is meant only to preserve his legacy. NMML’s collections and activities are not limited to Nehru’s legacy: in fact, the collection of papers, letters and interviews preserved there embraces an array of distinguished personalities across the spectrum of public life. Acquisitions stepped up rapidly over the last four years to include eminent figures such as the mathematician and historian D. D. Kosambi, scholar Amrita Rangaswamy, the Hindi journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik, the Hindi novelist and dramatist Upendranath ‘Ashk’, scientists such as Professor Yash Pal and Dr S. Varadarajan, the naturalist M. Krishnan, diplomats such as Rikhy Jaipal, Rashid Ali Baig and Subimal Dutt, the industrialist Rahul Bajaj, economists such as Professor S. Guhan and Arun Bose, the literary scholar and activist G. N. Devy, political figures like Hardwari Lal, and the marine archaeologist S. R. Rao.The lecture series, organised with clockwork efficiency by NMML staff over the last four years, has invited scholars to reflect on the dramatic changes taking place around us. There is a vibrant Hindi series, ‘Samaj, Itihas aur Sahitya’; young scholars have presented impressive research under ‘Histories of the North-East, New Perspectives’ and ‘Interrogating Social Justice’; and the ‘Cities in History’ lectures have tapped interest in the urban as a vital site for democratic transformation. The ‘Science and Heritage’ series and exhibitions such as the ongoing one titled ‘New India and the First IIT’ will, one hopes, help in breaking down the wall between the sciences and the social sciences. Mahesh Rangarajan’s own passionate investment in environmental issues encouraged historical discussion on a theme of pressing contemporary concern. Finally, the library today stands thoroughly updated, a pleasure to read and work in.We recognise that the bid to control and regulate the autonomy of cultural and political institutions, to substitute one kind of orthodoxy for another, can emerge from different sites of power. An independent-minded academy must justify itself by professional protocols. At the same time, it is also being called upon to find innovative ways to engage with the production and use of history taking place at other sites. These are histories in which the minorities, lower castes, ‘tribals’ and marginalised border communities find distinctive ways of evoking their experience. However, there are also other histories, increasingly strengthened by the power of institutional and social hierarchy, which seek to embed a narrative of majoritarian triumphalism in our educational system and cultural institutions. This is a narrative that excludes diversity and dissent and violates the constitutional right of citizens to representation in these forums, irrespective of class, caste, religion or political affiliation.We strongly feel that Nehru Memorial Museum and Library should not be paralysed by one such bid just when its activities are establishing a stronger connection between professional academic life and wider discourses about history and society. It is not by replacing one set of political luminaries by another that lower castes, tribals, women, young people, restive urban populations, minorities and border populations will find room for representation in curricula, museums, public archives, exhibition spaces and film and television programmes.We call upon all concerned citizens to urge executive bodies of autonomous cultural and academic institutions such as NMML to protect the space for democratic discussion, dissent and minority views at these sites which exist for the of exchange of ideas. Equally, those who are appointed to run these institutions must have independent standing and sound credentials in their field and be given the room to work creatively while keeping their intellectual and professional dignity intact.Disclaimer: The views expressed in the statement belong to the signatories, and do not represent the position of their institutions.Signatories (in alphabetical order):Ravi Ahuja, Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Goettingen UniversityG. Arunima, Centre for Women’s Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityPulapre Balakrishnan, Economics, Ashoka UniversityPrathama Banerjee, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, DelhiRana Behal, Association of Indian Labour Historians, New DelhiRustom Bharucha, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityIra Bhaskar, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNeeladri Bhattacharya, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityUma Chakravarti, Department of History, Miranda House, Delhi University(retd.)Paula Chakravarty, Gallatin School & Department of Media, Culture and Communication, New York UniversityPartha Chatterjee, Columbia University, New YorkSukanta Chaudhuri, Department of English, Jadavpur UniversitySupriya Chaudhuri, Department of English, Jadavpur UniversityPrem Chowdhry, Department of History, Delhi University (retd.)Francis Cody, Asian Institute and Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto.Kavita Datla, Department of History, Mount Holyoke CollegePradip K. Datta, Department of Political Science, Delhi UniversityRohit De, Department of History, Yale UniversityHarald Fischer-Tiné, Modern Global History, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ZurichWill Glover, Department of History, University of MichiganTapati Guha-Thakurta, History, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences CalcuttaCharu Gupta, Department of History, Delhi UniversityStephen Hughes, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of LondonKajri Jain, Art History/Visual Studies, University of TorontoChitra Joshi, Department of History, Indraprastha college, Delhi UniversitySudipta Kaviraj, Indian Politics and Intellectual History, Columbia UniversityMalavika Kasturi, Department of History, University of TorontoUdaya Kumar, Centre for English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityMukul Mangalik, Ramjas College, University opf DelhiFranson Davis Manjali, Centre for Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityKaruna Mantena, Political Science and South Asian Studies Council, Yale UniversityRama Mantena,Department of History,University of Illinois at ChicagoNayanika Mathur, University of Cambridge, UKRakhee Kalita Moral, Department of English, Cotton College, GuwahatiVenugopal Maddipati, School of Design, Ambedkar University DelhiRanjani Mazumdar, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityPrabhu Mohapatra, Department of History, Delhi UniversityJanaki Nair, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityAnil Nauriya, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, New DelhiJoy Pachau, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityPrasannan Parthasarathi, Department of History, Boston CollegeGinu Zacharia Oommen, India Centre for Migration, New DelhiFrancesca Orsini, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of LondonVasudha Pande, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi UniversityRashmi Pant, Department of History, Indraprastha College, Delhi UniversityMadhava Prasad, Department of Cultural Studies, English and Foreign Languages University, HyderabadTeena Purohit, Department of Religion, Boston UniversityAlok Rai, Department of English, Delhi University (retd.)Bhavani Raman, Department of History, University of TorontoVijaya Ramaswamy, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversitySrirupa Roy, Professor of State and Democracy in Modern India, Goettingen UniversityTanika Sarkar, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (retd.)Sumit Sarkar, Former Professor, History, University of Delhi (retd.)Sambudha Sen, English Department, Shiv Nadar UniversityMitra Sharafi, Law School, University of Wisconsin-MadisonJayeeta Sharma, Department of History, University of TorontoBenjamin Siegel, Department of History, Boston University.Mrinalini Sinha, Department of History, University of MichiganSrimanjari, Department of History, Miranda House, Delhi UniversityLakshmi Subramanian, History, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences CalcuttaNandini Sundar, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of EconomicsRavi Sundaram, Centre for Studies in Developing Societies, DelhiRajeswari Sunder Rajan, Department of English, New York UniversityStefan Tetzlaff, Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Goettingen University/CEIAS, ParisRosie Thomas, University of Westminster, LondonA. R. Vasavi, independent scholar, BangaloreRavi S Vasudevan, Centre for Studies in Developing Societies, DelhiA. R. Venkatachalapathy, Madras Institute of Development StudiesSusan Visvanathan, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityRohit Wanchoo, St Stephen’s College, Delhi UniversityJon E Wilson, Department of History, King’s College, LondonAnd 215 additional endorsements Chitra Joshi Department of History Indraprastha College University of DelhiRina RamdevRohan D’Souza, Kyoto UniversityKiran Keshavamurthy, Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, CalcuttaRosinka Chaudhuri, Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, CalcuttaSibaji BandyopadhyayDr Subir Sinha, School of Oriental and African Studies, LondonRitajyoti BandyopadhyayPremesh Lalu, Director, CENTRE FOR HUMANITIES RESEARCH, University of the Western Cape, South AfricaSanjay Srivastava, JNUSatish Poduval (Dept. of Cultural Studies, EFL University–Hyderabad)Deepak Naorem, University of DelhiAmita Baviskar, Institute of Economic GrowthSugita Katyal, JournalistIqbal Sevea, University of North Carolina-Chapel HillA. Jacob, (Ramjas College, University of Delhi)Varunika Saraf, artist and research scholarBharati Jagannathan, Miranda HouseManjari Katju, Department of Political Science, University of HyderabadRatna Raman, Associate Professor..English…Sri Venkateswara.College.Delhi UniversityVarsha Patel, studentArti Minocha Dept of English, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi UniversitySaumyajit Bhattacharya, Kirori Mal College, Delhi UniversityEllora Puri, Dept. of Political Science, University of Jammu.Priya Sangameswaran, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, KolkataAparna Balachandran Department of History University of DelhiGeeta, University of Delhi, DelhiJ Devika, Associate Professor, Centre for Development Studies, KeralaRajeev Kinra, Dept of History, Director of Asian Studies Program, Northwestern UniversitySubarno Chattarji, Department of English, University of DelhiRuchi Chaturvedi, Department of Sociology, University of Cape TownCharusheela, University of Washington, BothellArindam Banerjee, AUDJustin Mathew, Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Gottingen, GermanyRohit Negi, School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University DelhiNeepa Majumdar (University of Pittsburgh)Nilanjana Bhattacharjya, Arizona State UniversitySuryasikha Pathak Assam universityUsha Iyer, Assistant Professor, Clark UniversityPrasenjit Duara, Raffles Professor, National University of SingaporeAmrita Dhar, University of MichiganDenys P. Leighton, School of Liberal Studies, Ambedkar University DelhiNaveen Gaur, Dyal Singh College, University of DelhiDebaditya Bhattacharya, University of CalcuttaLalit VachaniSamira Sheikh, Department of History, Vanderbilt University.Deeptha Achar, Department of English, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaSankaran Krishna, University of Hawai`i at ManoaNita Mishra UCCNinad Pandit, LSE Cities, London School of Economics and Political ScienceRadhika Mongia, York University, TorontoArupjyoti Saikia, Historian, GuwahatiChirashree Das Gupta, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNatalie Z. Davis, Princeton University and University of TorontoChandler Davis, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto (Canada)Saikat Ghosh, Asst. Professor, SGTB Khalsa College, Delhi UniversityNissim Mannathukkaren, Dalhousie University, CanadaGopalji Pradhan, AUDRavikant, historianRukmini Sen, Ambedkar University DelhiSusie TharuAyesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityAchyutanand Mishra, Research scholarChitra PadmanabhanYogesh Snehi, Ambedkar University DelhiGyan Prakash, Princeton UniversityG N Saibaba, Ram Lal Anand College, University of DelhiBikramjit De, National University of Juridical Sciences, KolkataAnwesha Sengupta, CRG, kolkata.Baidik Bhattacharya, Department of English, University of DelhiSujathaPratyush PrashantMaroona Murmu, Department of History, Jadavpur University, KolkataMoushumi Basu, Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityGitanjali Surendran, Jindal Global Law SchoolAparna Vaidik, Ashoka University, historianSimona Sawhney, IIT-DelhiNilima Sheikh ArtistDwijen Rangnekar, Warwick University (UK)Papori Bora, Centre for Women’s Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityGilles Verniers, Ashoka UniversityRudrangshu Mukherjee, Ashoka UniversityRavindran Sriramachandran, Ashoka UniversityMamata karade (PhD Student, CWS,JNU,New Delhi )Sangeeta Dasgupta, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversitySanal Mohan Mahatma Gandhi University and Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Gottingen, GermanyMalini Sur, National University of SingaporeSaagar TewariRohan Deb Roy, Department of History, University of ReadingSeema Arora-Jonsson, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesEleanor Newbigin, Department of History, SOAS, University of LondonAnkita Pandey I.P. College, DUSupriya Varma, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New DelhiDhirendra Dangwal, Ambedkar University, DelhiDr Alpa Shah, London School of EconomicsDeborah Sutton, Lancaster UniversityGautam Kumar (Research Scholar at JNU)Sucharita Sen, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityGunnel Cederlöf, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SwedenJayati Ghosh ProfessorShinjini Das, Postodoctoral Research Fellow, University of CambridgeSatyanarayana, Professor, EFL University, HyderabadSwati ShresthRama MelkoteTarangini Sriraman, Centre for the Study of Developing SocietiesSanjukta Das Gupta, University of RomeAnia Loomba ProfessorDwaipayan Bhattacharyya, Centre for Political Studies, JNUSabeena Gadihoke Associate Professor AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia IslamiaTony K Stewart, Professor of South Asian Religions, Vanderbilt UniversityAnuradha Dingwaney Needham, Oberlin CollegeAmrapali BasumataryTapan Basu, Associate Professor, Department of English, University of DelhiAkshaya Tankha, PhD candidate, University of TorontoSubir Dey,Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New DelhiHarsh Dobhal, Doon UniversitySelvyn Jussy, University of CalcuttaRitoo M. Jerath JNUAngelie MultaniVebhuti DuggalMadhavi Menon, Ashoka UniversityRashmi Sawhney, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, BangaloreRajendran Narayanan, Ashoka UniversityBindu Menon, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of DelhiAmit S. Rai, Lecturer, Postcolonial Media StudiesShalini Sharma, Keele UniversityPrashant Kidambi, University of LeicesterNiharika Yadav, Department of History, University of DelhiKriti Budhiraja, JNUIndira Chowdhury, HistorianNikhil Menon, PhD Candidate in History, Princeton UniversityDr. Lucia King, University of WinchesterMridu Rai, Presidency University, KolkataGitha Hariharan, WriterHeeral Chhabra, Doctoral Candidate, University of DelhiStuti Khanna, IIT DelhiFarhana Ibrahim IIT DelhiAnand Pandian, Johns Hopkins University, BaltimoreSnigdha Kumar, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of EconomicsRadhika Gupta Centre for Modern Indian Studies Goettingen UniversityDurba Chattaraj, Ashoka UniversityRahul DeJayanti Ray-Mukherjee, Assistant Professor, Azim Premji UniversityBarbara Metcalf, University of California, DavisVinita Chandra, Associate Professor, Ramjas College, Delhi UniversityBlessy Abraham, Department of History, Delhi UniversityTharakeshwar V.B. The English and Foreign Languages University, HyderabadManjusha NairDr Stephen Legg, University of NottinghamHeike Liebau, ZMO BerlinUjjayan Bhattacharya, Department of History, Vidyasagar UniversityHeather Goodall, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Technology SydneyRudolf Heredia, Independent researcher, MumbaiRashmi Varma, University of WarwickNiyati Sharma, Department of English, University of OxfordSunandan K N Assistant ProfessorKade Finnoff University of Massachusetts BostonSaeed Ahmad, MPhil Student, Delhi UniversityAlex Thomas, Azim Premji UniversityPadmanabh Samarendra, Jamia Millia Islamia, New DelhiNandan Nawn, Department of Policy Studies, TERI University, New Delhi, IndiaSimin Patel, Bombaywalla.orgShomen Mukherjee (Azim Premji University)Eric HynniewtaAnand Vivek Taneja, Vanderbilt UniversityRohith P, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, DU.David C. Engerman, Brandeis UniversityRochana BajpaiShilpa Phadke, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.Monica Sakhrani, TISSBindhulakshmi Pattadath, Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies, Tata Institute of Social SciencesG M SheikhAmar Farooqui, Department of History, University of DelhiNandini Manjrekar, TeacherSupratik Chakraborty, Professor, IIT BombayUma M. Bhrugubanda, EFL University, HyderabadMeera Visvanathan, Assistant Professor,Shiv Nadar UniversityAbdul Rahman, I P College, DUToral Gajarawala, English, New York UniversityAarti Kawlra Former Fellow NMMLSachin N. Dyal Singh CollegeRudrashish Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, Dept of English, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi.Harriet Raghunathan, formerly JMCDr D. Sengupta, IP CollegeBiswajit Mohanty, Deshbandhu CollegeBenu Mohanlal, Department of English, Ramjas CollegeVibhas Verma, Deshbandhu CollegeRajendra Parihar, Ramjas CollegeNivedita Sen, Hans Raj CollegeMadhvi Zutshi, English, SGTB Khalsa CollegeA. Jacob, Ramjas College, University of DelhiSaikat Ghosh, SGTB Khalsa CollegeSanam Khanna, Kamala Nehru college, University of DelhiMihir Pandey, Economics, Ramjas CollegeRoopa Dhawan, Ramjas CollegeHari Sen, Department of History, Ramjas College.Debraj Mookerjee, Associate Prof, Ramjas CollegeDr Surabhi Ranganathan, Fellow of King’s College, University of Cambridge, UKArunabh Ghosh, Assistant Professor, History Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USANandita Narain, St.Stephen’s College, Delhi UniversityDilip Simeon, HistorianNilofer Kaul, Hansraj College, DUNandini Dutta, Miranda House, DUChristine Gledhill,Cinema Studies,University of Sunderland, UKThomas Blom Hansen, Stanford UniversityRajeev Kinra, Asian Studies Program Northwestern UniversityGopinath Ravindran, Dept of History, Jamia Millia IslamiaNeshat Quaiser, Associate Professor Department of Sociology Jamia, Millia IslamiaVinita Chandra, Ramjas College, DUSandhya D Nambiar, JMCMeenakshi Malhotra, Hansraj CollegeThomas R. Metcalf, Professor Emeritus of History, University of California, BerkeleyMichael Hutt, SOAS London UniversityNalini Nayak