University of Kerala Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC) N. Veeramanikandan has written to the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes seeking protection under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and urging the commission that a case be registered against two former Syndicate members for repeatedly abusing him in a casteist manner.
Right from the time he took charge as PVC, the two Syndicate members — B.S. Jyothikumar and R. S. Sasikumar — had repeatedly sought to belittle him; on one occasion they even shouted out at a meeting that the post of PVC was not to be occupied by someone from a lower caste.
“I submit this petition with immense mental agony and distress, combined with a feeling of fear, helplessness, and insecurity, as I was victimised by two former members of the Syndicate of the University of Kerala as a result of their conspired harassment and caste hatred and after having committed all such atrocities, they remain scot free and continues to repeat such vicious acts, as if they are not answerable in the law of the land,” the petition says.
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On September 10, 2013, Dr. Veeramanikandan was given full additional charge of Vice Chancellor. This move “was not liked or relished by the above mentioned Syndicate members who could not reconcile with the fact that a person from a depressed class occupying such a prominent academic position like that of the Vice Chancellor,” the petition says.
When he refused to act according to the whims and fancies of these members, they started humiliating Dr. Veeramanikandan and referred to him as an untouchable. Mr. Jyothikumar also posted derogatory remarks on his Facebook page showing the PVC in a bad light.
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The petition also lists some instances when Dr. Veeramanikandan was targeted by the two. Mr. Jyothikumar and Mr. Sasikumar further sought to humiliate Dr. Veeramanikandan by spreading the news that the latter’s doctoral thesis was plagiarised. A complaint to the police did not yield any result.
Dr. Veeramanikandan has urged the Commission to intervene in the matter so that he could discharge his duties without fear and favour, the petition says.