West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA) issued a press statement on July 29 in solidarity with the 48 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers that were issued chargesheets by the JNU administration for the July 2018 protests, against the controversial Central Civil Services (CCS) Conduct Rules, 1964, a week ago.
Condemning the JNU administration’s autocratic step, the statement reads, “West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA) strongly condemn the issuance of charge-sheets to 48 teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University by JNU administration for protesting against the anti-teaching learning policies of the university. The application of Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules is highly objectionable as this is a direct assault on the teachers and the ideas of the university. By imposing such rules, the authority is trying to stifle their right to speech and write to inform and influence public opinion.”
Earlier JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) had issued a similar statement on July 26 which read, “they were vindictively targeted by the JNU administration for raising their voices against the misdeeds and mismanagement of the University.”
The WBCUTA statement is signed by the general secretary Kesab Bhattacharya and president Subhoday Dasgupta. Stating that the application of CCS rules on JNU, an autonomous body where the employees by no means are government servants, is heinous and unlawful and an attempt to curb freedom of speech and expression, the statement read “Application of Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules on JNU teachers is a deliberate attempt to curb the freedom of expression of teachers of an academic institution which has a heritage of free thinking and reputed worldwide for its tolerance in diversity of opinions.”
It lastly stated, “We register our strong protest against this unlawful and heinous move by the university authorities and demand forthwith withdrawal of the charge sheets issued to the teachers.”
A google form has also been created by the teachers across universities to protest against the application of CCS rules in JNU and condemning the administration’s move to chargesheet the 48 teachers despite the Vice Chancellor’s press release on October 22, 2018 stating that “no CCS Rules have been incorporated in JNU ordinances.” The google form is an attempt to gather as much support as possible against the controversial CCS rules and the withdrawal of the chargesheets. It asks the respondents to fill their name, their designation and the institutional affiliation.
The form states, “As teachers across universities at all levels, we stand in solidarity with the 48 teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University who have been issued charge-sheets by the JNU administration on the basis of Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules (CCS Rules), for raising their voices against its anti-teaching-learning policies, thus stifling their legitimate right to protest.”
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