Ramchandra Siras
Born1948 (1948)
Nagpur, Maharashtra
Died7 April 2010(2010-04-07) (aged 61–62)
NationalityIndian
AwardsMaharashtra Sahitya Parishad

Ramchandra Srinivas Siras (1948 – 7 April 2010) was an Indian linguist and author. He was a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University specializing in Marathi literature and head of the Department of Modern Indian Languages.[1] The film Aligarh, directed by Hansal Mehta, is based on his life.[2][3]

Life

After school in Nagpur, Siras studied psychology and linguistics at Nagpur University in India. In 1985 he got his doctorate in Marathi and a master's in psychology. He finished university studies and became a professor at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1988.[4]

Siras suffered from fits at a young age and was advised against marriage. When considered cured of the condition later in life he was married. The marriage lasted for nearly 20 years but ended in divorce after a long separation.[5]

He wrote several short stories in the Marathi language.[6] In 2002, he received the literary award from Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad for "Paya Khalchi Hirawal" (Grass under my feet).[4][7]

Suspension

On 8 February 2010, two men forced their way into Siras' house and caught him having consensual sex with another man.[8] On 9 February 2010, Siras was suspended by AMU for "gross misconduct" after having been ambushed by a local TV channel's camera crew, while having sex with a rickshaw puller.[1] The AMU public relations officer, Rahat Abrar, stated: "Siras was captured on camera having sex with a rickshaw-puller. He was placed under suspension by the order of the vice-chancellor, professor P. K. Abdul Aziz".[8]

He won his case against the university in Allahabad High Court on 1 April 2010, and got back his job as professor, along with his accommodation, until his retirement.[4][9] The case was exacerbated by the involvement of students in the covert taping and ambush of Siras and his lover. The case was fought on the premise that Siras could not be penalised for being homosexual as Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized homosexuality, had been declared unconstitutional by the Delhi High Court in 2009.[10]

I spent two decades here. I love my University. I have always loved it and will continue to do so no matter what. But I wonder if they have stopped loving me because I am gay.

— Siras, 2010[4]

Death

On 7 April 2010, Siras died in his apartment in Aligarh.[11] Police suspected suicide,[12] and preliminary results from the autopsy showed traces of poison in his body. A case of murder was later registered and six people arrested.[13] On 19 April, the Superintendent of Police stated that three journalists and four AMU officials were named as part of the crime.[14] The case was closed without resolution after the police failed to find sufficient evidence.[15]

Siras was due to retire officially from academia six months later, and the letter officially revoking his suspension arrived at his office the day after his death.[16][9]

Works

  • Several short stories in the Marathi language.
  • Award-winning book of Marathi poems, Grass Under My Feet (2002)

Awards

Manoj Bajpayee portrayed him in his biopic titled Aligarh. The film received warm reviews from the critics and Bajpayee went on to win several accolades for his performance.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "'Gross Misconduct' by Aligarh Muslim University; The cynical use of homophobia to protect university maladministration is condemnable". Economic & Political Weekly. 27 February 2010. The ease with which homosexuality was equated with "gross misconduct" by the AMU underlines the continued existence of a large "homophobic" common sense, which can be put to political use for a variety of unrelated issues, regardless of the well-publicised judgment on Section 377.
  2. ↑ "Hansal Mehta's 'Aligarh' starring Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao to open Mumbai Film Festival". The Indian Express. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Aligarh". Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. A young journalist uncovers a homophobic conspiracy behind the case of an Indian college professor who is caught by the press in bed with his lover.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Times of India:Gay prof was known as a literary genius
  5. ↑ Ganjapure, Vaibhav (13 April 2010). "Who'll claim Siras' Rs 3cr house?". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  6. ↑ AMUC: Ramchandra Siras Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Poetry and poets in rags – Poetic obituaries Shrinivas Ramchandra.
  8. 1 2 Pant, Saumya (1 July 2010). "Professors hounded out for being Gay". Mail Today. FEBRUARY 9 The videographers – Adil Murtaza and Sirat – forward the footage to AMU authorities, and Siras is fired for " gross misconduct".
  9. 1 2 Buncombe, Andrew (28 May 2010). "Was a gay Indian academic driven to take his own life?". Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Siras had returned to work on Monday, but was due to retire in September. According to a report in the Indian Express, Siras had told the reporter that he wanted to move to the US to teach Marathi and dedicate his life to working for gay rights. "America is the only place I will be free to be gay," he said.
  10. ↑ Biswas, Ranjita (13 December 2013). "RIGHTS: INDIAN GAYS PREPARE TO FIGHT AGAIN". Inter Press Service. Fortunately, that was in 2010, after the Delhi High Court verdict, and lawyers successfully fought the case in the Allahabad High Court on the premise that he could not be penalised. He was reinstated by the university. The punishment should have been given to those who barged into his private quarters to take photographs illegally.
  11. ↑ NDTV:Online campaign for justice in gay profs death
  12. ↑ "Gay AMU professor found dead, suicide suspected". NDTV. 7 April 2010.
  13. ↑ "INDIA: Gay professor murdered at top university – University World News".
  14. ↑ "2 journos arrested in AMU reader's death case". United News of India. 19 April 2010. The mediamen had carried out a sting operation on the homosexual relations of the AMU reader with a rickshaw-puller, following which the varsity authorities had suspended Siras and ordered him to vacate his residence.
  15. ↑ Fareed, Mohd Faisal (1 October 2015). "Director won't shoot film on 'gay' prof at AMU campus". Indian Express. A murder case was registered, but the police failed to find any clue and the case was closed.
  16. ↑ Deepu Sebastian Edmond (9 April 2010). "AMU Prof death: Police say poison traces found in body". Indian Express.
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