On the suspension of a teacher in AMU
The Delhi University Teachers Association records its sense of outrage at the treatment meted out to Dr S. Ali Nadeem Rezavi, Associate Professor in History, at the Aligarh Muslim University. His suspension for criticising what he thought were illegal or motivated actions by the Vice-Chancellor constitutes a gross assault on the freedom of speech and expression. That this action was taken on the basis of some reported comments by the teacher on social media network is a matter of great concern. It is also an example of the manner in which criticism is silenced by authoritarian administrations instituted in educational institutions. The Vice-Chancellor’s reported personal misbehavour with Dr Rezavi also deserves proper enquiry. That the Vice-Chancellor wielding the stick at Aligarh is a retired Lieut. General also raises the question of the failure of the University Grants Commission to implement the rule that Vice-Chancellors must come from exclusively academic backgrounds.
The recent experiences elsewhere suggests that the Act, Statutes and Ordinances of the Universities be revisited and revised to ensure that whatever be the background the powers of the Vice-Chancellors to bestow undue favours on acolytes and harass / victimise others who dare question must be curbed. The disciplinary authority and mechanisms must be made independent. The stipulated grounds of misconduct which are ambiguous or are likely to be selectively or arbitrarily used should be removed to ensure that conformism is not demanded from teachers.
The DUTA condemns this act of victimisation and assures our colleagues at Aligarh of its full solidarity with them in their struggle to defend the cause of academic freedom and teachers’ self-respect. The DUTA will also write to the Vice-Chancellor of AMU to press upon him to immediately withdraw the suspension of Dr. Rezavi.
On the surreptitious attempt to reinstate Dr. G K Arora as Principal at BR Ambedkar College
A meeting of the Governing Body of BR Ambedkar College was called today with a clear motive to reinstate Dr. G K Arora, who was suspended on charges of sexual harassment. The notice that was sent for the meeting on 18 July 2014 did not either specify the agenda and neither were the report of the Committee headed by B.L Garg that had gone into the charges against Dr. Arora or the papers received from the High Court on the matter. The meeting had to be cancelled for lack of quorum.
This practice has been encouraged by the University as seen in the recent meeting of the Executive Council held on 19 July 2014, when a report without the supporting documents into the complaint of sexual harassment by a teacher was not circulated but placed on the table and a decision was taken to initiate action against the complainant.
The DUTA takes serious note of the fact that this manner of convening meetings without circulating agenda papers in advance has become a norm in Delhi University, thus disallowing members from due application of mind before decisions are arrived at and the consistent subversion of statutory bodies in this process.
The Staff Association of the College, in its meeting held today, has also pointed out that its complaint to the Chairperson of the GB against Dr. Arora for installing hidden cameras in his office and victimisation of dissenting employees has not been acted upon. The High Court had in fact directed the GB to consider these complaints.
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