Jadavpur University has withdrawn an explanation notice issued to professor Arup Gayen over his approval of a campus convention addressed by Neha Bora, after teachers and students protested the university’s action.
The notice was issued to Gayen in his capacity as chairman of the university’s approving and programme monitoring committee, which had cleared the event at KP Basu Hall on October 5. The decision to withdraw it was communicated by vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee through email.
“As per the trailing mail, I have asked you to give me an explanation regarding the approval of a programme held on October 5. Now I understand under what circumstances and in what context the programme was approved by you as the chairman of the ‘approving and programme monitoring committee’. Based on the discussion the undersigned had with you, I feel no more written explanation is required from your side,” the vice-chancellor wrote.
“Accordingly, the explanation asked from you has been revoked,” he added.
The university had sought an explanation from Gayen after RSS-affiliated teacher and student organisations accused him of procedural lapses in permitting the event. The programme had drawn objections from sections of the campus community, while the notice prompted opposition from other teachers and students.
Asked what led to the withdrawal, Bhattacharjee said he had spoken to Gayen and no further explanation was required. “The chapter is closed,” the vice-chancellor told Metro.
The university’s approving and programme monitoring committee has since been dissolved and reconstituted. Bhattacharjee said the decision was part of routine administrative action and that the new committee was a balanced panel that would perform its responsibilities under the usual terms of reference.
“Any committee can be dissolved and reconstituted at any time. This is a routine exercise. The new committee is a balanced panel and will do its job fairly with the usual terms of reference,” he said.
The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association met the vice-chancellor on Wednesday and opposed the notice issued to Gayen. A teacher who attended the meeting said the association told the vice-chancellor that teachers provide voluntary service while heading university panels and that penalising them could discourage others from cooperating with such committees. The teacher said the vice-chancellor had promised that the notice would be revoked.
Bhaskar Sardar, a Jadavpur University professor and president of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh, had alleged that permission for the October 5 event was granted in violation of due procedure. The university’s latest decision leaves the reconstituted committee responsible for reviewing and monitoring programmes under its stated terms of reference.
