On March 6, 2026, SNDT Women’s University abruptly canceled a lecture by feminist historian Professor Uma Chakravarti without explanation.

The Research Centre for Women’s Studies (RCWS) invited Professor Chakravarti to deliver the sixteenth annual Neera Desai Memorial Lecture, titled “A Feminist Looks Back: Four Decades of a Long March,” on March 14, 2026. The lecture was scheduled to be followed by a screening of a film directed by Chakravarti, which documented women’s resistance movements against violence across various regions of India. The event was first publicized on March 4 over social media.

Two days later, RCWS called Chakravarti to cancel the event. While the university administration provided no official justification, a faculty member cited “technical reasons.” According to other members of the university community, the cancellation was partially driven by social media backlash regarding Chakravarti’s outspoken criticism of Brahmanical patriarchy, the caste system, and right-wing stances on women’s emancipation.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the cancellation of an on-campus event, apparently in response to pressure from members outside the university community. Higher education leaders should respect academic freedom by refraining from politically or ideologically motivated restrictions on academic activity. Attempts to limit academic discussion and exchange undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/sndt-neera-desai-memorial-lecture-uma-chakravarti-cancelled-10569211/
https://scroll.in/latest/1091220/mumbai-sndt-womens-university-cancels-lecture-by-feminist-historian-uma-chakravarti
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/varsity-created-needless-controversy-says-renowned-feminist-historian-uma-chakravarti/article70744280.ece