The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar, expressing its “serious concerns at the unprecedented onslaught on the rights of teachers and undermining of institutional processes over the last six months.”
Mr. Kumar was not available to meet the JNUTA delegation, but Rector I of the university, Chintamani Mohapatra, assured the teachers that he would take their memorandum to the V-C and that he would work towards ensuring a dialogue between them and the university administration.
‘No proper consultation’
The JNUTA said that there there is an overwhelming sentiment in the teaching community that an extremely arbitrary and authoritarian culture of functioning has become the norm with the JNU administration.
“Teachers are being subject to unprecedented disrespect and humiliation on an almost daily basis and decisions are being taken without any proper consultation, bypassing all statutory processes.” said JNUTA.
“The announcement of a major decision to open new schools without any discussion in the statutory bodies of the university is a case in point. The disastrous consequences of such an authoritarian functioning can be seen in the fiasco of the admissions this year which are threatening to destroy, among other things, JNU's research programmes. The integrity of the selection process of faculty to be appointed in the University has also become unnecessarily questionable,” said Pradeep Shinde, Secretary, JNUTA.
‘Won’t be silent’
The JNUTA, in their memo, said that they wish to remind the JNU administration that the University is no one's personal fiefdom and that it is an institution that belongs to the people of India.
“We would be failing in our duty if we were to remain silent spectators to the immense damage that is being done to the institution by the administration under your leadership,” the teachers told the V-C.
The teachers also expressed their concern over the “illegal” removal of their colleague Rajeev Kumar from service and demanded that he be reinstated immediately.
