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300 academics urge SAARC secy-general to act over ‘unjust dismissal’ of South Asian University professor
SAU terminated the services of Associate Professor Snehashish Bhattacharya, two years after he was suspended for “inciting students” during the 2022-23 stipend protests.
Associate Professor Snehashish Bhattacharya. File Photo
More than 300 scholars from universities across the world have written to the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar on Monday, urging him to intervene in what they call the “unjust and punitive dismissal” of Dr Snehashish Bhattacharya, Associate Professor of Economics at the South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi.
The Indian Express first reported in September that Bhattacharya was among four faculty members suspended in June 2023 for allegedly “inciting students against the interest of the university” during stipend protests the previous year.
His services were formally terminated on September 11 this year, with retrospective effect from June 2023.
The letter to Ambassador Sarwar states, “The scholars have urged the Secretary-General to call upon SAU to immediately rescind Dr Bhattacharya’s termination, to protect academic freedom within the institution, and to uphold the founding ideals of collegiality, dialogue, and intellectual independence.”
The appeal describes Bhattacharya’s dismissal as “a distortion of his record and commitment to academic integrity.” It claims that the administration acted “without transparency, fairness, or credible evidence,” and that the recent developments have “led to a climate of fear among students and staff”.
Among the signatories are several eminent academics, including Ha-Joon Chang (SOAS University of London); Jayati Ghosh (University of Massachusetts Amherst); Amit Bhaduri and Prabhat Patnaik (Jawaharlal Nehru University); Partha Chatterjee (Columbia University); Rathin Roy, former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council; and Guy Standing (SOAS University of London).
“Dr Bhattacharya’s commitment to fairness and dialogue embodies the values SAU was meant to uphold,” the letter notes, warning that his dismissal “threatens not only an individual’s career but also broader principles of academic freedom and collegiality.”
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The signatories also challenge SAU’s claim that it lies beyond the jurisdiction of Indian courts, calling it an argument that “undermines the rule of law and accountability”.
When contacted by The Indian Express in September, Swati Arjun, Deputy Director (Media & PR) at SAU had said, “The decision of the termination of Dr Snehashish Bhattacharya has been taken in accordance with Regulation 38.5 of the South Asian University after the report of the Disciplinary Committee.”
The university was established under the South Asian University Act, 2008, enacted by the Indian Parliament. Bhattacharya has challenged his termination before the Delhi High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for November 18.
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