‘Tainted’ members form part of JU’s sexual harassment panel

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 25

With blatant sexual harassment scarring faculty members, research scholars and students, the role of Jammu University — the country’s first ISO certified institute of research and higher learning — in conducting probe and punish culprits in sexual harassment cases has come under scanner.

Contrary to the much-talked about claims of the university that it had “policies and procedures to provide an environment that is free from sexual harassment and sexual assault”, the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH), constituted by the varsity to conduct inquiry and recommend action against the culprits, has some “tainted” members who had been accused of (through anonymous letters) running a sex racket on the campus.

The CASH members, however, remained reluctant to share even the basic information as to how many complaints of sexual harassment so far had been received from faculty members, researchers and students and what action was initiated against the culprits in the recent past.

On June 25, the university authorities appointed 16 members of the Committee Against Sexual Harassment for a period of one year. It comprised two senior faculty members, two postgraduate students, woman officer and woman staff member, two wardens of girls’ hostels, five representatives from various employees’ associations, eminent woman academician from outside the university, woman representative of an NGO and woman counsellor.

The irony of the subject matter is that some “tainted” members, having dubious background, are still the part of the committee despite the fact that there are serious allegations of sexual harassment against them.

“On October 23, 2013, an anonymous letter was circulated among heads of various academic departments on the campus wherein eight faculty members from various departments and a Class-IV employee were accused of running a sex racket on the campus and subjecting research scholars and faculty members to sexual harassment. Some members, who were named in the anonymous letter, are now the part of the Committee Against Sexual Harassment, which is quite disturbing and unfortunate,” said a senior professor of the university.

At that time, the then Dean, Students Welfare (DSW), of the university had to lose his post after he forwarded the case to the Crime Branch for an in-depth investigation to ascertain as to who circulated anonymous letter among the heads of all the academic departments. The university administration, however, had withdrawn the case from the Crime Branch following “tremendous pressure” from a “particular lobby” of teachers as they were accused of sexually exploiting girl students on the campus.

The senior professor also blamed the university authorities for “shielding” the culprits while quoting an infamous case of alleged sexual harassment by a senior university teacher, who happened to be the head of department at that point of time, against a junior colleague three years ago.