Jadavpur teachers’ body concerned over delay in ‘disciplinary action’ against ragging accused

Kolkata: Over three months after the death of an undergraduate student of Jadavpur University because of ragging and subsequent fall from a hostel balcony, the representative body of faculty members voiced concern that "disciplinary action" against the guilty was yet to be taken by the university.

The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) in a letter to officiating vice-chancellor Buddhadeb Sau said the "inordinate delay in imposing punishment" on the students has raised serious questions on the intent of the administration to curb ragging on the campus.

The student fell off a second-floor balcony of the JU Main Hostel on August 9 after intensive ragging. He died at a private hospital the next day.

"We note with deep concern that disciplinary action against the convicted persons in the death of a first-year student has not yet been taken in spite of series of meetings of anti-ragging committee and anti-ragging squad of the university," the letter by JUTA said on Wednesday.

"Inordinate delay in imposing punishment has raised serious questions on the role and interest of the administration to curb ragging in university. In this context, JUTA demands immediate punishment of identified guilty persons using the institutional rules and regulations failing which serious legal measures will be initiated against the administration to ensure social justice," the letter, a copy of which was made available to the media, said.

The association said it will mobilise the stakeholders to launch an agitation against the motivated inaction by a section of administration to curb ragging if no steps are taken.

The anti-ragging squad of JU in its report submitted to the university two months ago had suggested expelling 35 senior students residing in the varsity hostel where the UG student died.

The squad also supported another recommendation of the panel to expel four senior students from the university for their alleged direct involvement in the ragging of the Bengali honours student leading to his fall from the balcony.

Attempts to contact JU interim VC to elicit his response on the issue failed.

JUTA also reiterated its opposition to any move by the state government to roll out human resource management system (HRMS) in JU and other state universities for disbursement of salary, retirement benefits, matters related to pay fixation, promotion etc. apprehending it will seriously jeopardize the academic and financial autonomy of the institution.

Urging Sau to "place the matter in the executive council and discuss the policy threats which are hidden in HRMS", JUTA said this was needed to protect the interests of the stakeholders.

Under the circumstances, silence of the university administration becomes a real threat for the stakeholders, JUTA said and threatened a bigger movement if their concerns are not addressed.