North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) and Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) organized a press conference on the on-going crisis at Manipur University (MU) at Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The press conference was addressed by former president, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) and Federation of Central University Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) and representing DU teachers, Nandita Narain; secretary, JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) Sudhir Suthar; and eminent teachers’ and women’s rights activist in solidarity with MU students, NEFIS and KSA, Dr Maya John.
This was stated in a release released later in the day.
A solidarity letter from FEDCUTA was also read out at the conference, the released stated.
Secretary, JNUTA, Sudhir Suthar raised concerns over the rapid ‘dismantling of higher educational institutions’ in the country.
He pointed out the manner in which such dismantling has been initiated under BJP regime while emphasizing that Manipur University issue was not an isolated one and that rather such attempts have been made at other universities such as DU, FTII, Hyderabad University among others, the release further stated.
Nandita Narain expressed her concerns over the HRD Ministry’s denial to send the Vice Chancellor on leave despite an inquiry being conducted against him and asserted that it points out the Ministry’s outright attempt to save the Vice Chancellor and was in contravention of established practice of sending vice chancellors on leave during an inquiry, it added.
Dr Maya John spoke about the role of BJP government in expediting privatization of public-funded institutions by depriving them of funds and dismantling them by appointing subservient administrators and thereby curbing democratic movements in universities, the release further stated.
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