The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) along with the Hindu College Staff Association (HCSA) today sat on dharna against the Hindu College administration, in protest against the unjustified, unwarranted and extreme punishment meted out to 9 colleagues of the college. Two of the said colleagues have been dismissed from service, while for the remaining seven, the college has ordered withholding of salary increments, debarment from administrative posts for five years, and being placed under observation for those five years. This is clearly an attempt to build a case against these teachers too, to facilitate their dismissal from service as well. This excessive and high-handed action is in response to these teachers raising their voices and persistently challenging various irregularities and improprieties in the administration of the college. The punishment meted out is stated to be exemplary, indicating that the college administration is working closely with the university authorities to send a warning out to the entire teaching community, that the authorities will react with extreme repression to any attempt to challenge their maladministration and excesses.
The DUTA and HCSA strongly condemn this action, and demand the unconditional revocation of the punishments against all the teachers. Further, it demands the immediate removal of the Acting Principal, Dr Anju Srivastav, and the Chairman of the Governing Body, Mr S N P Punj, for their blatantly illegitimate anti-teacher actions.
The dharna initiated today will continue for seven more days. After that, DUTA and HCSA will review the course of action, if there is no positive response from the authorities.
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