M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 23: Deans, heads and in-charge of post-graduate departments, and teachers of the constituent colleges in an act of exemplary solidarity, today marched into the administrative building of the Nilamber Pitamber University, Daltonganj and sat on dharna demanding action against the erring assistant of this university Santosh Agrawal.
Teachers were holding a motley collection of placards that read ‘stop humiliation of teachers’, ‘inquilab zindabad’, ‘Vishwa Vidyalaya Parshashan hosh me aao’ etc. Lady teachers also popped their heads out in this stir.
The agitation was pre-scheduled as their association had intimated to the university that beginning September 20, teachers would be wearing black badges and would wait for the university as to how it goes about the September 15 incident and if found the university remains in any paroxysm of inaction, then dharna will be held on September 23.
The teachers wore black badges for 2 consecutive days and with one buffer day (September 22) waited for the university to act but finding the university dragging on this incident, they staged dharna today as per their pre-announced programme.
The teachers’ association is angry in the wake of the unseemly behaviour of a senior assistant with a senior teacher Vibhesh Choubey on September 15.
Sources said the anger of the teachers is on two counts. First, the incident that happened on September 15. Their anger is more against the university for procrastinating this incident.
Sources said there has been no counter stir so far from the side of the assistant group of the university. They are far busier in their stir for the festival advance.
The assistants and other non-teaching personnel of the university are preoccupied with their own dharna for the festival advance in commensurate with the 7th pay scale, which entered into the 4th day today.
University Proctor Dr K C Jha said, “Our space today got filled in the university. The non-teaching employees continued sitting on dharna on the 4th day. Then came a batch of teachers for the dharna today.”
Jha said, “We knew all who sat on the dharna today in the university are the valuable members of our one family and thus everyone would be sensible enough to ensure that there is no breach of peace nevertheless it is incumbent upon the university to inform the SDO Sadar for the maintenance of law and order in the campus today.”
Accordingly, a posse of police along with Magistrate Chunnu Mishra camped at the university during these two sit-ins on the campus and building of university.
Pro-vice-chancellor of NPU Dr Deep Narayan Yadav said the university is quite serious about the development and is working on a plan to safeguard the larger interests of the university.
Secretary of the GLA college and PG Teacher’s Association Dr Shailesh Kumar Mishra told lagatar24.com, “VC Dr Ram Lakhan Singh heard us. He has urged us to keep this issue on the back burner till October 14 when on this day the Chancellor Ramesh Bais is expected to grace the second convocation of the university here.”
Mishra further said the VC has assured to shuffle the personnel working in the registrar cell where works Santosh Agrawal too.
On being asked if the VC gave any timeline for action on the demand of the Association Mishra said “The VC didn’t give any timeline except reiterating that let there be calm and peace in the academic arena here till the visit of the Chancellor.”
The Association looks determined to see action being taken against the senior assistant in question.
