Vidyasagar HOD quits prof. association post over appointment tussle
- The Statesman
- 16 Jun 2014
biswabrata goswami
Statesman News Service
Midnapore, 15 June
Mrs Indrani Datta (Chaudhuri), assistant professor, department of English of Vidyasagar University has resigned from the post of general secretary of West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WEBCUPA), VU unit.
She has already sent her resignation letter to the WEBCUPA president Prof. Krishnakoli Basu, who has dissolved the VU unit a few days ago.
Mrs Datta (Chaudhuri), who had led a deputation on 11 June to protest against the illegal appointment of Mr.Jayanta Kishore Nandi, in the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University by the authorities of the varsity in 2012 which was done by ignoring candidates having better academic career and experience records than Mr Nandi, was later criticised by a section of Trinamul Congress leaders and WEBCUPA authorities.
The matter came to light when Mr Rama Prasad Giri, president of the Paschim Medinipur district Trinamul Chhatra Parishad in a memorandum submitted to Professor Ranjan Chakrabarti, vice-chancellor, on 23 May, alleged that “the recommendation of the name of Mr J K Nandi to the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University was not placed in the executive council for approval and it was just reported after giving the appointment, which is a gross irregularity.” Mr Giri added in his letter that “they did not witness this kind of irregularity during the CPI-M regime” (Memorandum in possession of The Statesman).
Meanwhile, Mr S K Ghosh, Joint Secretary and the A.O. & E.O. of the Audit (PAC) Branch of the Higher Education Department in his letter no.21-HE/Audit (PAC)/1A-33/2013 dated 25 February 2014 to the senior Audit Officer to the Principal Accountant General of the Govt. of West Bengal categorically noted under para no.2 of page 3 the “non-adherence of basic essential qualifications and experiences for initial appointment in the case of Shri Jayanta Kishore Nandi, Dean of Students’ Welfare” in his audit inspection report on Vidyasagar University and a copy of this letter was forwarded to the Finance Officer and the Registrar of Vidyasagar University for information and necessary action.(Letter in possession of The Statesman).
As a mark of protest, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) along with some students and non-teaching staff members led a movement and felicitated the present acting registrar with garland which infuriated the Trinamul Congress leadership.
“Later, our committee was dissolved and I was particularly feeling helpless when I saw my colleagues being heckled for inappropriate reasons let alone the kind of mental torture and harassment that I had to endure over the last two years, experiences that were not dissimilar to those that I faced during the Left regime. Fighting the battle within and without became difficult for me. It seemed like we had become mere puppets in the hands of a wanton king”, said Mrs Datta (Choudhuri).
In her letter to Mr Basu, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) said, “This entire episode of our symbolic protest against nepotism and corruption, against inequality and injustice, against the authority's attempt to throttle our Fundamental Rights, was wrongly reported to the dignitaries who matter. It is also unfortunate that we, the members of our unit, have never been given an opportunity to explain our view-point. And, hence, you have been directed to dissolve the committee of our unit.”
“For this reason, in order to safe-guard my ideology and my dignity as a free citizen of an independent country I have no other option but to resign from the post of General Secretary of WBCUPA, VU Unit”, she mentioned in the letter.
Statesman News Service
Midnapore, 15 June
Mrs Indrani Datta (Chaudhuri), assistant professor, department of English of Vidyasagar University has resigned from the post of general secretary of West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WEBCUPA), VU unit.
She has already sent her resignation letter to the WEBCUPA president Prof. Krishnakoli Basu, who has dissolved the VU unit a few days ago.
Mrs Datta (Chaudhuri), who had led a deputation on 11 June to protest against the illegal appointment of Mr.Jayanta Kishore Nandi, in the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University by the authorities of the varsity in 2012 which was done by ignoring candidates having better academic career and experience records than Mr Nandi, was later criticised by a section of Trinamul Congress leaders and WEBCUPA authorities.
The matter came to light when Mr Rama Prasad Giri, president of the Paschim Medinipur district Trinamul Chhatra Parishad in a memorandum submitted to Professor Ranjan Chakrabarti, vice-chancellor, on 23 May, alleged that “the recommendation of the name of Mr J K Nandi to the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University was not placed in the executive council for approval and it was just reported after giving the appointment, which is a gross irregularity.” Mr Giri added in his letter that “they did not witness this kind of irregularity during the CPI-M regime” (Memorandum in possession of The Statesman).
Meanwhile, Mr S K Ghosh, Joint Secretary and the A.O. & E.O. of the Audit (PAC) Branch of the Higher Education Department in his letter no.21-HE/Audit (PAC)/1A-33/2013 dated 25 February 2014 to the senior Audit Officer to the Principal Accountant General of the Govt. of West Bengal categorically noted under para no.2 of page 3 the “non-adherence of basic essential qualifications and experiences for initial appointment in the case of Shri Jayanta Kishore Nandi, Dean of Students’ Welfare” in his audit inspection report on Vidyasagar University and a copy of this letter was forwarded to the Finance Officer and the Registrar of Vidyasagar University for information and necessary action.(Letter in possession of The Statesman).
As a mark of protest, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) along with some students and non-teaching staff members led a movement and felicitated the present acting registrar with garland which infuriated the Trinamul Congress leadership.
“Later, our committee was dissolved and I was particularly feeling helpless when I saw my colleagues being heckled for inappropriate reasons let alone the kind of mental torture and harassment that I had to endure over the last two years, experiences that were not dissimilar to those that I faced during the Left regime. Fighting the battle within and without became difficult for me. It seemed like we had become mere puppets in the hands of a wanton king”, said Mrs Datta (Choudhuri).
In her letter to Mr Basu, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) said, “This entire episode of our symbolic protest against nepotism and corruption, against inequality and injustice, against the authority's attempt to throttle our Fundamental Rights, was wrongly reported to the dignitaries who matter. It is also unfortunate that we, the members of our unit, have never been given an opportunity to explain our view-point. And, hence, you have been directed to dissolve the committee of our unit.”
“For this reason, in order to safe-guard my ideology and my dignity as a free citizen of an independent country I have no other option but to resign from the post of General Secretary of WBCUPA, VU Unit”, she mentioned in the letter.
To complain and criticize the higher-up in such a way going against the official norms and rules, etiquette and manners, making it happen otherwise and that too in the form of a protest, fight or demonstration is not good at all for any sort of academic or educational establishment. One thing that we have forgotten is this that vidya dadati vinayama, we are educated no doubt, but we have forgotten how to submissive, humble and polite. Though it is everybody's prerogative to talk and express freely, but we should not try to transgress the limit and taking the liberty of speech, we have even criticized the hon'ble V.C, which is never expected at least from the colleagues and staff.
ReplyDeleteInstead of being an English poet of some stature, published in national books and journals of importance, I have never tried to be in the limelight and what more to say to you? It all depends on modern taste and culture.
Biajy Kant Dubey
Do politics of course, but keeping in view morals, values, ideals and manners, as too much of it will spoil it all even what we intend on doing. When the lawmakers are readily available, we should not take the law into the hands of ours to show it that we are all powerful. There are many who have borne it for art and culture, but they never like to focus upon they themselves. Today the academics like to come up with their c.v. themselves, beating their own drums and it too has turned into a thing of self-praise and mutual admiration.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Left-regime, we were not allowed to speak and side by side it is also a truth that there were no takers of us then, as we are expressing it today and for this the thanks must go to the present regime which has at least given it. Had it been the previous one, they could have throttled our voices and our protests would have turned into deaf and dumb demonstrations.
ReplyDeleteIt is not good and healthy at all to poke the fire into a blaze, what I am, what she is, who is he, how has he come rather than doing the duty mindfully. Had there been something wrong, we would have definitely heard about. Know thyself is the right answer to look into, let us ask ourselves, are we fit to be professors?