A hint of Hindu
Maya Brown
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Religion
The Mount prides itself on its open acceptance to any and every type of person. As a place that doesn't discriminate against anyone for any reason, this historically Catholic university also accepts those who don't follow the Catholic faith.
In our community, we have a number of Mountaineers who share very different or very similar beliefs; and yet they continue to work together and refuse to allow such diverse backgrounds to interfere with the strong sense of a safe and forthcoming community. Among those faculty, staff, and students is Dr. Indrani Mitra an English professor, who has been teaching at the Mount for 18 years. Though she teaches at a Catholic university, Mitra does not follow the Catholic faith.
Mitra was raised in India as a Hindu but her religious background didn't hinder her from choosing the Mount as the place she would impart knowledge. She knew that she would have to work hard, just as in any other profession, and refused to let her religion interfere with her work.
"I wasn't worried on religious grounds," Mitra says about coming to teach at the Mount. "I went to a Catholic school in India, so I knew that a Catholic institution would emphasize a rigorous education."
She was assured that she would have the freedom to express her views in the classroom and to this day she has had that opportunity.
"I have never felt constricted in this matter," Mitra explains about her freedom to follow the Hindu religion in juxtaposition to the Mount's Catholic traditions and faith. True to its word, the Mount allows her to teach her classes with her own preferred style, just as any other professor-Catholic or not-is able to.
Characteristic of the Mount, Mitra has never faced any difficulty with other professors or students due to her religious affiliations.
"I have… felt that people…are genuinely interested in learning more about my religion and cultural background," says Mitra. She has, however, experienced students-who represented other Christian denominations-"express a feeling of being marginalized in the student community" but does not say to what degree.
In our community, we have a number of Mountaineers who share very different or very similar beliefs; and yet they continue to work together and refuse to allow such diverse backgrounds to interfere with the strong sense of a safe and forthcoming community. Among those faculty, staff, and students is Dr. Indrani Mitra an English professor, who has been teaching at the Mount for 18 years. Though she teaches at a Catholic university, Mitra does not follow the Catholic faith.
Mitra was raised in India as a Hindu but her religious background didn't hinder her from choosing the Mount as the place she would impart knowledge. She knew that she would have to work hard, just as in any other profession, and refused to let her religion interfere with her work.
"I wasn't worried on religious grounds," Mitra says about coming to teach at the Mount. "I went to a Catholic school in India, so I knew that a Catholic institution would emphasize a rigorous education."
She was assured that she would have the freedom to express her views in the classroom and to this day she has had that opportunity.
"I have never felt constricted in this matter," Mitra explains about her freedom to follow the Hindu religion in juxtaposition to the Mount's Catholic traditions and faith. True to its word, the Mount allows her to teach her classes with her own preferred style, just as any other professor-Catholic or not-is able to.
Characteristic of the Mount, Mitra has never faced any difficulty with other professors or students due to her religious affiliations.
"I have… felt that people…are genuinely interested in learning more about my religion and cultural background," says Mitra. She has, however, experienced students-who represented other Christian denominations-"express a feeling of being marginalized in the student community" but does not say to what degree.
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