New Delhi: Faculty members, college students and alumni of the Ashoka University in Sonipat have expressed anguish over famous political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s resignation as a professor, saying his exit appears to be a direct consequence of his function as a public mental and critic of the federal government.
While the college members have written to the vice chancellor (VC) and board members, saying Mehta’s exit has set a “chilling precedent for future removals of faculty”, the alumni council of the college has launched a separate assertion expressing solidarity with Mehta, who stepped down because the VC of the college two years in the past and resigned as a professor earlier this week.
The developments got here on a day when eminent economist Arvind Subramanian additionally resigned as a professor of the college.
This information created a furore among the many college students of the nation particularly those that are learning at Ashoka University and the alumni affiliation of the college. His resignation precipitated widespread discontent and anger amongst college students and college members at Ashoka University, which describes itself on its web site as “a pioneer in its focus on providing a liberal education at par with the best in the world”.
The Ashoka University Student Government, the Alumni Council of the Ashokan University have despatched a letter to the administration of the establishment citing solidarity with Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta and different colleges who tendered their resignations.
The letter says, ” Professor Mehta and Professor Subramanian are invaluable members of the Ashokan community and we are extremely saddened that they have submitted their resignations under these conditions.
It is unacceptable that the stakeholders of our University are receiving information about the resignation of their faculty members through media articles without any official communication whatsoever from the Vice-Chancellor.”
The letter additional iterates their calls for in the complete matter.
It mentioned:
Professor Mehta be re-offered his place as University Professor
The letter of resignation written by Professor Mehta have to be made public with the professor’s consent.
Lastly, the method of resignations to be made extra clear.
The Ashokan University Alumni Association and the coed council has prolonged their unconditional help to Professor Mehta and need him to return to the college.
While a question despatched to the college relating to the developments remained unanswered until the submitting of the report, VC Malabika Sarkar informed the scholars and college members at a digital city corridor assembly that Mehta was requested to rethink his resolution, however “he has asked to be left alone”.
The school members have famous that Mehta’s resignation is a “matter of great anguish”.
“In light of media reports that circulated before the official announcement of Professor Mehta’s departure from the university, it seems quite plausible that his resignation was a direct consequence of his role as a public intellectual and critic of the government. We are greatly troubled by this scenario,” the assertion by the college members mentioned.
“Mehta’s resignation is not just an occasion for sorrow over the departure of a deeply respected and admired colleague. It also raises urgent questions about the university’s commitment to academic freedom as well as its internal processes. Even more troubling is the possibility that our university may have acceded to pressure to remove Professor Mehta or to request, and accept, his resignation,” it added.
The school members mentioned, “We request the university to ask Professor Mehta to rescind his resignation. We also request that the university clarify its internal protocols of faculty appointment and dismissal, and reinforce its institutional commitment to the principles of academic freedom.”
The Ashoka University Student Government, Alumni Council and different members of the college group launched a separate assertion expressing solidarity with Mehta.
“The events that have transpired point to a failure on the chancellor and vice-chancellor’s part in protecting the university faculty from external pressures and, more importantly, also point to a failure of the founders to ensure the same,” the assertion mentioned.
Nearly 100 college students and college members staged a protest within the college within the afternoon. The college students mentioned they have been “extremely saddened” by the exit of Mehta and Subramanian, who they mentioned have been invaluable members of the Ashoka group.
“We strongly condemn these resignations and the lack of transparency from the university about the same. It is unacceptable that we are learning about the exits from news reports and not the university itself,” the scholars mentioned.
At the digital city corridor assembly with the VC within the night, the scholars and college members raised questions on the function of the trustees and founders of the college in Mehta’s resignation, which led Subramanian to give up. The VC informed them that she was not part of any dialog between Mehta and the trustees.
“The trustees have categorically told me to convey on their behalf that they never asked Mehta to resign,” she mentioned in the course of the practically two-hour-long assembly. The VC additionally mentioned she requested Mehta to take his resignation again, however he mentioned he didn’t need to and “wants to be left alone”.
The city corridor, which was streamed reside, was attended by over a thousand college students, members of the college and alumni. The college students and college members wished the VC to present them the true motive for Mehta’s resignation and inform them if the environment of educational freedom within the college is being compromised.
(With inputs from PTI)
