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Artists, academicians to go on the offensive against M.S. University
Special Correspondent
| Association seeks resignation of Vice-Chancellor for ``failing to protect his staff and students'' |
Professor Romila Thapar (left), Professor Shivaji K. Panikkar, M. S. University, and Professor Jayati Ghosh, JNU, at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: The Association of Academicians, Artists and Citizens for University Autonomy (ACUA) — formed in the wake of vandalism and protests at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara — has decided to go on the offensive against the university authorities.
Bringing their battle to the Capital on Wednesday, Shivaji K. Panikkar, Dean in-charge of the Faculty of Fine Arts who was suspended by the university for defending the student whose works triggered the incidents on the campus between May 9 and 11, said: ``We have been on the defensive till now. Now, we have decided to go on the offensive.''
Resignation sought
Among the ACUA's demands are: resignation of the Vice-Chancellor for ``failing to protect his staff and students, the academic process, examinations and evaluation in the university, and preservation of their right to undisturbed work.''
The ACUA also sought appropriate action against the Vice-Chancellor for abdication of responsibility towards the university at a critical moment and failure to take action against the intruders and disrupters of the examination process.
Other demands include, registering an FIR against Niraj Jain — secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Vadodara city unit — who disrupted the examination process; releasing the art works to enable completion of evaluation and declaration of results and revoking the suspension of Prof. Panikkar.
Addressing a meeting organised by SAHMAT, historian Romila Thapar — who, along with the former Delhi University Vice-Chancellor, Deepak Nayyar, had sought President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's intervention in the matter — questioned the reluctance of the Union Government to step in.
Condemning the attempt to control intellectual enterprise, she said the enquiry committee should be from outside Gujarat.
Broader strategy
According to Jayati Ghosh of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the incidents at M. S. University were part of a broader strategy to destroy an institution known for its creative thinking and dissent.
Questioning the enquiry instituted by the university, the ACUA said the position paper circulated by the university authorities ``is sufficient evidence that the Vice-Chancellor has already pre-judged the matter even before hearing from the University's own enquiry committee.''
Enquiry committee
As for the enquiry committee set up by the university, the ACUA has its reservations because it is filled with people sympathetic to the BJP.
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