Kolkata, Aug 29 (PTI) Amid the row over ragging in Jadavpur University where a 17-year-old died after falling off a hostel balcony, the institute issued a notification replacing the head of the international relations (IR) department only to withdraw it hours later.
Registrar Snehamanju Basu told reporters on Tuesday the selection of heads of some departments including the IR has not been finalised.
“We were busy with some developments in the university leading to some confusion. But JU never pursues any policy which goes against its statute and rules. We are taking steps in consultation with our lawyers,” she said.
IR head of the department (HoD) Imankalyan Lahiri told PTI that the university had issued a note on August 28 evening appointing a person for the post with immediate effect and then withdrew it.
“The last communiqué implied I will be discharging my responsibility as head of IR for the time being,” he said.
IR is one of the flagship departments in JU arts stream.
Lahiri, who did not name the person who had been brought in his place, said the entire sequence of events reflected the “flip-flop policy” in the running of affairs in JU by the present administration.
“I suddenly came to know last night that I am no more the HoD of IR. Then again, as I was going to sleep, another alert beeped on my mobile as I got the update that I’m not being replaced,” he added.
“I don’t know whether being vocal and giving media interviews about ragging and bullying in JU following the death of a student at the boys’ hostel has anything to do with it. In the past too, I had differences over an assistant professor’s response to allegations of bias against a PhD scholar. I have always spoken against incidents of discrimination in the IR department,” he said.
Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) secretary Partha Pratim Roy said, “Lahiri was first replaced with another professor last evening and then the order was temporarily suspended for legal reasons. We want transparency in the entire system. Such inconsistencies are not advisable for a university like JU.” A 17-year-old student fell off the second floor balcony of JU boys’ hostel on August 9 night and died on August 10. There were allegations that the first year UG student had fallen after being ragged and sexually abused by seniors for hours triggering a nationwide uproar which still continues. PTI SUS MNB
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