Guwahati: Three principals of colleges in Assam have come under fire after they reportedly joined the Akhil Bhartiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
According to ABVP, the principals of JB College in Jorhat, North Lakhimpur College in Lakhimpur, and Gurucharan College in Silchar all joined the ABVP on Sunday.
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The move has been criticized by political parties and student organizations, who have accused the principals of compromising their neutrality and impartiality.
Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi said that the principals’ decision to join the ABVP was “deeply concerning” and that it would “jeopardize the academic atmosphere in their colleges.”
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“How can principals of educational institutions join a political organization? This is a clear case of conflict of interest,” Gogoi said.
“Can other students expect justice from those principals after joining a particular student organization?
A few days ago, the principal of Bhawanipur Anchalik College, Dr. Mukunda Sharma, was suspended for participating in a protest against delimitation of constituencies. We were strongly opposed to this. Now, will action be taken against them after they become members of a student organization, a student organization affiliated to a political party, a student organization that is engaged in communal, Hindu-Muslim politics?” Gogoi added.
Assam Trinamool Youth Congress president Bandip Dutta also expressed concern over the development, saying that it was “unacceptable” for principals to join a political party.
“This is a clear violation of the norms of neutrality that are expected of principals of educational institutions,” Dutta said.
The ABVP has defended the principals’ decision to join the organization, saying that they are “free to join any organization they want.”