Save Visva Bharati: VBUFA Writes To Dharmendra Pradhan As Impasse Continues

Bhubaneswar: The standoff between a section of teachers and students turning ugly with each passing day and the students are protesting vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty’s “autocratic actions” outside the Visva Bharati University. The students said they would not budge until those rusticated were allowed to return to the college. Professor Chakrabarty has been confined to his home due to the ongoing protest.

The faculty section of the university, Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA), filed a written petition in the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction in the issue. Taking this forward the V-C too wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.

The VBUFA has also shot a letter to the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday on the matter that is turning severe.

“With great pain, we the faculty members of Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, would like to draw your kind attention to a series of serious problems and pressing issues resulting from the whimsical and autocratic actions of the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty, which in turn have been adversely affecting the teaching, learning and research atmosphere in the campus,” the VBUFA letter read.

The teachers’ body alleged that irregular disbursement of salary and unauthorised salary cut had become a regular event at the university.

“Several faculty members have been show-caused/suspended/terminated by the Vice-Chancellor, at the flimsiest of excuses, apparently to satisfy the VC’s personal ego. This is directly causing harassment, humiliation and academic loss to teachers and students. Legal cases against the University have increased exponentially, resulting in the harassment of employees and huge financial loss to the university and there are around 15 police complaints on criminal ground lodged against the Vice-Chancellor, including those by faculty members, during his tenure. It gives a clear indication of his unlawful activities,” the letter further read.

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