Teachers’ body begins non-cooperation movement

KANPUR : About 150 members of professors’ forum of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) have resorted to ‘non-cooperation movement’ from Wednesday after the director of the institute refused to accept their eight-point demands in connection with prof Subramanyam Sadrela harassment case, according to some professors of the forum.

Sadrela, a dalit working as assistant professor at the IIT-K, had on Sunday night registered a case against four professors of the institute accusing them of harassment, mental torture and making casteist remarks against him. Ever since the institute has been witnessing an uneasy calm and now the teachers’ body has come out in support of the accused faculty.

Forum members met director A Karindkaar and demanded that the institute should defend the accused and provide legal and financial aid to them. They also asked the director to share the proceedings of the whole case with the forum within 24 hours and also remove the security incharge for allegedly videographing the meeting of professors with the director late Sunday night, the professors said.

The members said in case the director had given the order for videography he should publicly apologise.

They also said an internal enquiry had found the four professors not guilty and the institute should make it public.

Under the movement, the members would boycott all the meetings summoned by HoD of Aero Space department of the institute professor AK Ghosh and deputy director professor Manindra Agarwal as well as not take part in any administrative work. They charged the two with being biased against the accused.

One of the members of the forum said several other IITs and technical institutes had extended their support to the accused professors and they had decided to summon an emergency meeting of IIT-K senate to frame the future strategy.

Meanwhile, the accused have rushed to Prayagraj for seeking a stay against their arrest from the high court.

The tussle among the professors has left the students in a fix who fear about their future.

On the other hand, ethical committee of the institute has sought point-wise reply from professor Sadrela over accusation of plagiarism in his research thesis.

Sadrela, however, has alleged that since he had raised the question of his rights, he was being targeted.

Meanwhile, the institute has banned the entry of media persons on the campus and directed students, faculty and staff not to speak to the media.