FEDCUTA Press Release, 18 Aug 2018

The FEDCUTA condemns in strongest terms the horrifying
lynching of Professor Sanjay Kumar of the Mahatma Gandhi Central
University at Motihari, Bihar by an instigated mob.
While the immediate

excuse of attack on Prof. Sanjay Kumar, who happens to be an alumnus of
Delhi’s prestigious JNU, appears to be his critical posts on the
Facebook about the former PM late Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, it is clear
that the real reason behind the attack is the protests against the
Administration on several issues including violation of reservation
policy in recruitment of non-teaching staff. The recently formed Mahatma
Gandhi Central University Teachers’ Association by the teachers to
take their struggle forward has evidently angered the VC. The horrifying
background to the attack is the crackdown on the fundamental right to
dissent and freedom of expression by the administration at the Central
University to browbeat the protestors.

From Prof.Sanjay Kumar’s
complaint to the police it appears that members of the University
administration and local media used the critical Facebook posts to
provoke the riotous mob to attack him.The Mahatma Gandhi Central
University Teachers’ Association is seeing this mob attack as an attack
on its basic freedom of association and has unequivocally condemned the
lynching.
The situation as it has developed seems to be akin to
what the eminent political scientist Prof.Paul Brass has called the
operation of an institutionalised riot system in India where the mobs
are prepared and incited by powers that be to violence, often for
communal and power seeking ends.The spate of recent lynchings in India
which have been given legitimacy from above also follow a similar
pattern.In this process basic fundamental rights given by our
constitution are ruthlessly violated.
The FEDCUTA warns the Vice
Chancellor and the administration of the Mahatma Gandhi Central
University of Motihari against using such attacks on dissenting voices.

The FEDCUTA demands judicual probe into the incidence and action
against those involved in this murderous attack. The FEDCUTA further
demands Visitorial inquiry into the misconduct of the Vice Chancellor.

         Rajib Ray                                                                                                           Sonajharia Minz