Academicians write to President over sacking of Visva Bharati professor

Visva Bharati sacked Bhattacharya, who is also the president of the faculty association, on November 22, accusing him of supporting a recent agitation by students.

Academicians write to President over sacking of Visva Bharati professor

261 academicians from across the country and prominent US-based philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky have sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu over the sacking of Visva Bharati University's Economics professor Sudipta Bhattacharya.

Visva Bharati sacked Bhattacharya, who is also the president of the faculty association, on November 22, accusing him of supporting a recent agitation by students. The letter dated January 9, 2023, written to the President, which termed the termination as a “brazenly illegal order,” was signed by professors and teachers from some top institutions, including Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

“A series of ‘misconducts’ has been listed without specifying the dates and other details of the incident or the specific actions for which Professor Bhattacharya has been indicted. It is clear that no proper inquiry was conducted by the university authorities before initiating draconian disciplinary action against a university professor and office-bearer of the faculty association. Neither has there been a show cause notice issued to the professor concerned. These violations of standard procedure point towards malice and arbitrariness,” the letter signed by the top academics and institutions stated.

“The termination order is indicative of how the norms, laws and procedures governing Visva Bharati are being violated under the leadership of its current vice-chancellor,” the letter further added.

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