Letter from the Coeditors

• Date: 01 August 2021
• Author: Davide Panagia,Joshua Foa Dienstag,Nancy Luxon,Elisabeth Ellis
• DOI: 10.1177/00905917211016893
• Published date: 01 August 2021
• Subject Matter: Editorial

https://doi.org/10.1177/00905917211016893

Political Theory

2021, Vol. 49(4) 527

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/00905917211016893

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Editorial

Letter from the

Coeditors

Welcome to issue 4 of volume 49 of Political Theory. As we continue to

gather our bearings we wish to begin this issue by announcing that the

Political Theory Wikipedia page has been updated and revised. Please

feel free to visit the page and make relevant changes if need be: https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_Theory_(journal).

It is with much dismay and concern that we note that a member of our

Executive Editorial Committee, Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta, one of India’s

leading public intellectuals and an internationally renowned scholar of politi-

cal theory and constitutional law, was forced to resign from his position at

Ashoka University as a result of his persistent criticism of India’s Modi gov-

ernment. Hundreds of colleagues throughout the world were signatories of a

letter in support of Prof. Mehta that highlighted a collective distress regard-

ing the political pressure that resulted in his exit (https://www.persuasion.

community/p/a-dangerous-attack-on-academic-freedom?utm_campaign=

post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy).

In light of this, we wish to publish here the journal’s public statement,

originally posted on the @PoliticalTheory Twitter feed on March 19, 2021:

We the editors of Political Theory, deplore the forced resignation of our

colleague Pratap Bhanu Mehta from his professorship at Ashoka University.

He is a valuable member of Political Theory’s executive editorial committee as

well as one of the world’s preeminent public intellectuals. We admire and

uphold Pratap’s defense of the values of free inquiry, fearless scholarship, and

his untiring commitment to justice and equality.

Joshua Foa Dienstag, Editor

Elisabeth Ellis, Editor

Nancy Luxon, Review Editor

Davide Panagia, Editor

1016893PTXXXX10.1177/00905917211016893Political Theory

letter2021