West Bengal: Pro-left college-university teacher organisations support CU VC stand on exam date

KOLKATA: Nine pro-left organisations of college and university teachers on Monday alleged that the autonomy of state varsities was being encroached upon by the West Bengal higher education department, while expressing solidarity with Calcutta University’s officiating VC Shanta Dutta for refusing to alter the August 28 date of undergraduate examinations, which clashed with the TMCP foundation day.

The statement, issued by Calcutta University Teachers’ Association, Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association, Rabindra Bharati University Teachers’ Association, Burdwan University Teachers’ Association, Visva Bharati University Teachers’ Association, and four other college and university faculty bodies, deplored "any move by the higher education department to coax the CU authorities i nto changing the date."

"CU authorities, who refused to give in to the pressure of the ruling party's student outfit, gave priority to the interest of general students and helped in saving the autonomy of the university. We deplore the statements of Education Minister Bratya Basu and TMCP leaders against the VC on this issue," the statement in Bengali said.

Several teacher organisations backed CU

Teachers’ organisations from Presidency University, Kalyani University, North Bengal University, Aliah University, Raiganj University, Kazi Nazrul University, and West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences also backed the statement, describing the ruling party’s remarks against the VC as "objectionable and disrespectful" and as "lowering the dignity of an institution like CU."

The organisations claimed that while there had been similar instances of encroaching and eroding the autonomy of central universities by the Union government, "we are witnessing with concern that similar practices are being resorted to by the state government regarding the functioning of state universities."

Also read ‘Dark ages of JNU’: Teachers write to President Droupadi Murmu seeking removal of VC

TMCP requested to defer exam date

The Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) had requested the CU VC to defer the August 28 exam to some other date since the day clashed with the foundation day celebrations of the organisation. But Dutta refused to give in, asserting that the academic calendar of an institution should not be determined by the political programmes of any organisation. She had convened a special syndicate meeting earlier in August, which also endorsed her stand.

Asked about her stand, Basu had said Dutta had overstayed her tenure as interim VC appointed by Governor C V Ananda Bose and was occupying the post illegally. TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya echoed this, saying Dutta "has no right to discharge responsibilities as the Supreme Court has already formed a committee to appoint a permanent VC and the process has started." The TMCP further accused Dutta of working to please the BJP government at the Centre.