Nobody is disputing Orsini’s scholarly work, which does not even clash with any policy in general (“What does Francesca Orsini’s scholarly work say? Five former students explain what they have learnt”). She violated her tourist visa limitations. If she wanted to undertake research, there is a different visa she should have availed. As per Indian laws, she violated her visa and is blacklisted. She should not even have tried to enter without the correct paperwork. Orsini gained fame by researching Hindi, as did some of these scholars. – Bharat Wagh

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The article is more a cacophony on Orsini’s reputation and comes off as hollow, lacking any specifics. Scroll, in its enthusiasm, invited Orsini’s students, some of whom seem to have gained from her Western connections and who have a vested interest in not examining her work critically. A home-grown scholar of Hindi, like Apoorvanand, who has deeper understanding, would have been a better person to introduce Orsini’s work and originality. Unfortunately, one gets a barrage of information about Orsini’s books but fails to pinpoint path-breaking analysis, if any. – Abhay Kher

I read the Scroll article only after I came across all the criticism of it (“No need for speed: Why Kerala’s new highways will exact a...

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