Varsity to issue warning to teachers over ‘Draupadi’

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8

Facing criticism from the academia for instituting an inquiry against two teachers who had coordinated staging of Mahasweta Devi’s play ‘Draupadi’, the Central University of Haryana (CUH) in Mahendragarh has decided to warn them and order prior screening of all presentations in the future.

The teachers concerned, Dr Snehsata and Dr Manoj Kumar, have described the university action as unfortunate and disappointing.

“The university authorities, instead of defending the academic freedom and dignity of its teachers, has surrendered, held us guilty of an imaginary wrong and warned us of strong action in the future,” the two teachers said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has expressed dissatisfaction over the university action and is demanding sacking of the teachers after registration of cases of sedition.

“We will not hold any further demonstration outside the university. Armed with the inquiry report that has held the teachers guilty, we will take recourse to legal action against them,” said Pramod Shashtri, state president of the ABVP.

The university discussed the report of the inquiry committee headed by Prof Sukhbir Singh of Osmania University during a meeting of its Executive Council (EC) in Gurugram on Monday.

“The EC took serious view of the matter and shared the sentiments of all concerned. After considering the inquiry report in detail, it decided to approve and adopt the document,” said Dr Ram Dutt, Registrar.

“The EC has decided that Dr Snehsata, assistant professor in the English and foreign languages department, who read the epilogue of the play which was considered to be irrelevant and unwanted by the committee, be served a stern warning against repetition of such an act. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against her in accordance with her service agreement in case of repetition,” he said.

He said the EC had decided to issue a warning to Dr Manoj Kumar, the other coordinator, to be careful in the future. He said the EC had decided to issue an advisory to Dr Sanjeev Kumar, head of the English and foreign languages department, to be careful in the future.

“The warning condemned the epilogue as irrelevant and totally unwanted. Here, it is important that renowned scholars in various disciplines from all over the world had expressed solidarity with academic freedom and found no objection to the programme organised to pay a tribute to Mahasweta Devi,” said Dr Snehsata.

“The short story has been included in the curriculum under the title ‘Breast Stories’, which was approved by the Board of Studies, Academic Council and Executive Council. If the enactment of the story is questionable, its study in the classroom is debatable as well,” said Dr Manoj Kumar.

Dr Ram Dutt said the EC had decided that a committee be constituted by the Vice-Chancellor to screen all presentations, scripts, manuscripts, performances and lectures or any other programme to be organised by any department or individual prior to presentation before the public and no programme should be held without permission of this committee.

A controversy had erupted in the university after students of the English and foreign languages department staged the play ‘Draupadi’, which as per ABVP activists portrayed armed forces personnel as rapists.