DUTA Press Release, 3.11.2015

The DUTA strongly condemns the Principal of Bhagini Nivedita College, Dr. Purabi Saikia, for intimidating and threatening the Staff Association for their proposed dharna on Wednesday, (tomorrow), 4 November 2015 to highlight the serious crisis in the College due to the continued  misgovernance and misdeeds of the Principal.

In an email communication, the Principal has issued a threat of "No Work No Pay" to the Staff Association for giving a call for a peaceful dharna in the college. She has also invoked an order of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the limited context of the DUTA strike on the question of implementation of semester system in 2010. The call of the Staff Association is not for a strike but a dharna, and is not intended to disrupt classes or harm the students' interests in any way. Further, she has also cited the Ramjas College order which is also not applicable. The fact that the Principal has also tried to use the Code of Professional Ethics to browbeat the Staff Association is deplorable to say the least. In any case, the Code of Professional Ethics does not preclude the holding of a dharna.

The DUTA condemns the Principal for attempting to stifle the democratic right of students, teachers and employees to voice their dissent and raise their grievances. The DUTA fully endorses the call for the dharna and appeals to all members of the DUTA Executive and other activists to participate in solidarity with the teachers and staff of Bhagini Nivedita College against the high-handed functioning of the Principal who has thrown all norms of administration and statutory procedures to the winds.