‘LSR not for anyone to insult, destroy’: Outrage at DU college after ex-diplomat’s sexist, communal remarks

A guest lecture by a former Indian diplomat Deepak Vohra at Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College for Women allegedly left students uncomfortable, offended, and raged as they sensed sexism, communalism, and insensitivity in his words. Professors, alumni, and academics have equally strongly opposed his speech questioning the limitations of such events, free speech, and responsibility of the institution, as per various media reports.

While speaking on “Unstoppable India 2047” in an event organised by the department of BA programme, the former ambassador to Armenia, Poland, and Sudan reportedly passed remarks such as having four wives including college principal, being “maha chamcha” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Ram Temple being the “latest independence” of the country.

A slide from his presentation shared on social media read “Bharat’s four azadis” with the latest that of “our souls” after the construction of Ram Temple in 2024. “The saffronization of DU is nearly complete. Today at LSR, Deepak Vohra openly called himself Modi’s ‘maha chamcha’ (his own words) and even equated India’s azaadi with the Ram temple,” said the X user while sharing the slide.

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LSR alumna condemns Deepak Vohra's speech

Responding to the incident, LSR alumnae has issued a statement, condemning the talk and demanding answers from the senior management.

Lady Shri Ram College is not simply an undergraduate women’s college, it stands for a vision of a world in which women have space to explore their interests and capabilities. It was an expression of a newly democratic India to expand global quality higher education for women from all backgrounds. LSR as an institution exists to actively enable such a vision. Despite the deeply patriarchal contexts students come from, LSR gives them the space to experiment with ideas, explore freedoms, be inspired by other women, outside the constant censorious gaze of men. The teaching in the classroom has always been of an excellent standard, and outside it, there are a host of enrichment activities that makes an LSR education the well-rounded experience it should be.

This was the institution that many of us experienced for decades. When we graduated from this college, we were equipped with self-awareness, recognised the values we cherished and felt equipped to rise to any challenge life threw at us. Despite our inexperience and small budgets, we flawlessly organised our much sought after all-India cultural festival Tarang, invited national politicians to debate with us, heard the best classical musicians perform in our common rooms and through these activities we learnt how to host public events with integrity, efficiency and grace.

When ELSAs meet each other anywhere in India or the world, it is this shared ethos we recognise in each other.

To learn therefore that this week the college actually ushered into this hallowed space a retired diplomat Deepak Vohra, who is currently under investigation for financial bungling in the Indian embassy in Sudan and who holds openly misogynist and gratuitously communal views, and was allowed to freely articulate them without challenge, insulting the principal and by extension the institution she heads, beggars belief. Students were not even allowed to even walk out in protest.

As proud alumna of LSR we condemn this episode in the strongest possible terms and call upon the college, and its senior management to explain how this came to happen. Institutions stand for a vision for the future, which they hold in trusteeship for the next generation. LSR as a brand stands for a set of values that thousands and thousands of women have contributed to. It is not for anyone to insult and destroy.