Chennai: The governing board of Chennai’s Rukmini Devi College for Fine Arts, Kalakshetra Foundation, has agreed to fulfil all four demands put forth by students last week, including the demand for dismissal of staffers accused of sexual harassment, ThePrint has learnt.
According to two students who were part of the protests last week, the board informed them Monday that their demands will be met. “They have only verbally announced right now. We want written confirmation,” said a fourth-year student who did not wish to be named.
P.T. Narendran, a governing board member, told ThePrint that the board “intends to meet all of the students’ demands and a letter in this regard will be issued soon”. He added that the board met Monday to decide on certain matters “in the interests of students”.
ThePrint reported on 21 March on allegations of sexual harassment on campus.
On Thursday, students staged a demonstration on campus to protest purported inaction over allegations of sexual harassment against staffers. In a charter of demands presented to the administration, they had sought the dismissal of assistant professor Hari Padman and three repertory members, namely Sai Krishnan, Sanjith Lal and Sreenath.
Demands posed by protesters included acknowledgement of the students’ union, besides immediate implementation of measures to address verbal and sexual harassment, sexism, colourism and racism on campus. They had also sought assurance from the administration that the privacy of students staying at the Kalakshetra hostel would be safeguarded.
A.S. Kumari, chairperson of Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission, visited the campus Friday and held one-on-one sessions with students to record their complaints.
On Monday, Kalakshetra director Revathi Ramachandran appeared before the State Women’s Commission in Chennai in connection with allegations of sexual harassment on campus. The director has been asked to ensure that none of the four staffers accused of sexual harassment are allowed on campus for the time being, Kumari told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, officers from the Adyar all-women police station Monday arrested assistant professor Padman on a complaint by a student hailing from Kerala. Padman has been booked under IPC sections 509 (intending to insult modesty of a woman), 354(A) (unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures) and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)