AAP teachers' wing announces hunger strike over plight of ad-hoc professors in DU

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party teachers' wing AADTA on Tuesday announced a hunger strike on June 8 to protest the plight of ad-hoc professors at the Delhi University (DU). Addressing a press conference here, AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said former education minister Manish Sisodia had instructed DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh not to make any appointments until the formation of governing bodies in colleges funded by the Delhi government.

"However, appointments have been made arbitrarily, disregarding the minister's directive," Jha alleged. The legislator also accused the vice-chancellor of deliberately obstructing the formation of fully functional governing bodies. He said this has resulted in a significant number of ad-hoc teachers being displaced from their jobs.

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The party demanded the immediate formation of fully functional governing bodies in Delhi University colleges and urged the administration to halt the process of removing ad-hoc teachers and promptly absorb those who have already been displaced. An ad-hoc assistant professor of DU, Samarveer Singh, allegedly died by suicide recently. It is suspected that he took his life after his tenure at a DU college was not extended.

"We must not label his death as a suicide but see it as an institutional murder highlighting the consequences of the vice-chancellor's disregard for the welfare of the teaching faculty," Jha said. Academic for Action and Development and Delhi Teachers' Association (AADTA) national in-charge Aditya Narayan Mishra announced the decision to stage the hunger strike on June 8 on the premises of the Delhi University.

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"It aims at raising awareness about the plight of ad-hoc teachers due to institutional neglect, and seek immediate justice for the affected teachers. The AAP teachers' wing intends to intensify its battle for justice, with DU Executive Council members Dr Seema Das and Rajpal Singh Pawar also planning to raise the pressing issue in the upcoming council meeting," he said.

Mishra said the situation in DU is dire, adding these teachers are now faced with the challenge of finding alternative means of livelihood while paying rent and meeting their children's educational expenses.

"Many of these teachers hail from disadvantaged backgrounds and struggled to obtain an education. Teaching at DU was their path to stability, and they dedicated decades of service to making DU what it is reputed for. Today, they find themselves rendered homeless," he said.