A 1996 Commencement Speech

                                                                                                          Salman Rushdie, India (1947 - )
Summary in English 

Salman Rushdie as Indian writer shares his bitter experience with his students at the Bard College, USA on the occasion of the Commencement Speech on the Graduation Day. He was invited to Bard University for 1996 Commencement Speech; Rushdie addresses the members of the class of 1996. He criticizes himself and the Cambridge University and shares his bitter experience of his own Graduation Day of 1968 with his students and also regrets for compromising with falsehood and injustice in the past.
Rushdie graduated from Cambridge University in 1996, the year of great student protest. He was connected with the protest although he did not take part in the protest himself. Just a few days before the Graduation Day, some of his friends hurled a bucketful of thick brown gravy and onion sauce all over the walls, furniture, clothes and recorder in the absence of Rushdie. Then, Rushdie was accused of such working and declared to be disqualified for the degree. It means unless he submitted the report of the incident, he was not declared eligible for his degree. So, he says although Cambridge University prides itself for the tradition of fairness and justice, it solely accused him of the mischief and made him pay up.
On the Commencement Day, Rushdie went to the ceremony with defiant spirit in brown shoes which were not allowed. He was immediately held and sent back to change his shoes. He changed his shoes and returned few minutes later. Rushdie decided to surrender in front of injustice. He paid up for the damage compromised with injustice. He bowed his head to the feet of Vice- Chancellor. There was no other option for him. He followed and did whatever they told him because the degree he was going to receive was the product of three extremely hard years. He accepted the slavery and autocratic system. Finally, he achieved his B.A. Degree from Cambridge University.
In 1996, Rushdie as a Commencement Speaker addresses the graduated students and shares all his experiences with the students. He tells them not to accommodate with injustice and not to bow down their head to have their own rights. He suggests that they should not tolerate if people accuse them of abusing gravy when they are innocent. He requests them to stand up and fight for their rights and justice.
We have nothing good to learn from Gods. It is men and women who made the world. They have made it in spite of their gods. Human beings have best expressed their humanity by defying the gods. The gods are weakened by their show of strength where as can be joyous, creative, competitive and loving too. Finally, Rushdie suggests us that we human beings must not bow our heads; rather we must ignore the gods.