Image Courtesy: Twitter

The High Court bench comprising of Justice A Muhammed Mustaque, critiqued the university administration’s extreme step taken against the petitioner, Prasad Pannian. “When a person is suspended from discharging his duties as Head of Department, I would say, it would be a stigma on his career and reputation. Since the suspension was based on a cause, the cause itself needs to be examined,” said the court.

Pannian got into trouble for criticising the university administration and extending support on Facebook to Ganthoti Nagaraju, a Dalit scholar who was remanded, following a complaint filed by the university administration for breaking a fire alarm. Examining the details of the case, the court said, “It can be seen that the petitioner was sympathising a (sic) student who had to undergo such pain and trauma of criminalisation of his act. What would constitute misconduct would depend upon the nature of criticism or comment.”

The bench also criticised the university administration for crushing an individual’s right to expression. “One cannot be prevented from expressing his views merely because he is an employee. In a democratic society, every institution is governed by democratic norms. Healthy criticism is a better way to govern a public institution,” added the court.

Speaking to the Indian Cultural Forum, Pannian said, “The judgement is against all structures of humiliation particularly in academic institutions. It also upholds democratic values and freedom of expression. This judgement is not just about an individual and a particular case. It’s for all of us.”

According to an earlier report, the administration was acting vindictively towards Pannian and others for questioning it regarding the recent faculty appointments. Pannian’s suspension from the post of HOD was also an outcome of the administration’s spite.

Read the full judgement here.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum
 

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Circular of the university forbidding employees reaching out to the media

The acts of the university authorities have invited sharp criticism and protest from students, academicians and civil rights activists alike.  The CUK chapter of the Ambedkar Students’ Association organised an event of collective reading on Ambedkar’s ‘Annihilation of Caste’ in the university on September 13. On September 11, the organisation had submitted its demands before the Pro-VC as the VC, Dr Gopakumar, was not available, and accordingly, a meeting has been arranged to be held between the students and the VC on September 18. Civil rights activists and academicians from Kerala expressed their solidarity and support to the democratic rights of the teachers and students of the CUK in a joint statement issued on September 9.  The Kasargod district committee of the Left Democratic Front has called for a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in the university.

In another development, a few glass panes were broken during the protest march held by the SFI and DYFI to the campus on Wednesday, and the university authorities reportedly filed a police case against four students.  A protest is going on in the campus even as classes are being held as usual.

The incident related to the latest happenings took place in July. Ganthothi Nagaraju, a senior PhD scholar hailing from Telangana and active member of the Ambedkar Students Association, broke the glass pane of a fire alarm cabinet in the hostel. Nagaraju who had completed his MPhil from the University of Hyderabad was a close friend of Rohit Vemula (who committed suicide in 2016 protesting caste discrimination). He had lost his mother a month back and had not received his fellowship for months, and hence was understood to be mentally depressed and frustrated at the time.  He was reportedly suspended from the hostel on July 9. He admitted to the authorities of breaking the glass pane (which cost less than Rs 200) and got ready to pay fine for the same. But the authorities registered a complaint with the police, who arrested him on August 9 under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. He was remanded for 5 days on the trivial charge, before getting bail on August 14, but has to report to the Bekal police station every Saturday. Nagaraju was actively involved in the protests in the university for democratic rights, including better hostel facilities, and he has now been out of the hostel altogether.

Dr Prasad Pannian, associate professor and head of the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the CUK, put up a post on his Facebook wall extending solidarity to his student Nagaraju. Dr Pannian was then removed from the post of the Head of the Department on September 7.  Reports suggest that Dr Pannian was not in the good books of the administration as he used to question several moves taken by the authorities, especially when he was the Chief Vigilance Officer a few years back. The University authorities have also released a media statement on September 11, digging up old files against Dr Pannian, after the CUK received harsh criticism from all corners for the action against the assistant professor.

Akhil Thazheth, a student of MA International Relations and Political Science, was also dismissed on September 7 for the same reason – a post on Facebook which, the authorities say, was critical of the actions of the university. Akhil had posted a part of his Malayalam story on Facebook, after which he was suspended pending an inquiry on the matter on June 25, according to reports. The inquiry panel asked him to apologize in two sittings but he refused to maintain he hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was expelled.
Dismissal order of Akhil Thazheth

The Central University of Kerala was established in the state’s northernmost district of Kasargod in 2009.  It currently has more than 1,000 students in 17 postgraduate and research programmes. Since then the university has always had unrest and problems. Media reports suggest that there are around 70 cases in the Kerala High Court related to the CUK regarding recruitment scam, partisan acts, anti-Dalit moves etc. Several petitions have reportedly been filed on cases of denial of reservation, suspension of teachers, denial of admission to PhD programme, denial of reservation for the differently-abled etc. The petitions hint towards the actions the University has taken against several teachers, students and staff at different times.

There have also been reports that a CBI inquiry has been requested into the recruitment scam that took place in the university five years back. The Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr K Jayaprasad is the vice-president of the Kerala chapter of the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram. Meanwhile, for the first time in the history of the University, Ganesh Chaturthi festival was reportedly celebrated in the auditorium in the campus last day, with the cooperation of students from North India. Onam, the state festival of Kerala, is the only festival that has been celebrated in the university until now.

Order removing Dr Prasad Pannian as head of department

Courtesy: Two Circles

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