No suspension for not attending morning assembly: St Stephen’s clarifies

The email sent from the principal’s office to the students and parents concerned on February 17, read: “This is to bring to your kind notice that there was a prior request for you to meet with the Principal regarding low attendance in the morning assembly. Unfortunately, we noted that you were unable to report to the Principal’s office as requested. Regrettably, due to non-compliance with this request, I inform you that students will not be permitted to sit for the upcoming exams as a consequence of suspension.”

Clarifying this on Tuesday evening, Varghese sent another email to the students and parents, which read: “On Saturday (February 17), an email was sent from my office to the students and parents. It was a miscommunication… incorrectly worded. My sincere apologies for that. Even I was not cc’ed on that email, a practice which is usually followed when I instruct my office to communicate, in written mode, on my behalf. Let me, therefore, set the matter right through this email…”

“Every college has its unique set of practices and traditions, and St Stephen’s College is no different. The morning assembly is an old tradition of the college. It is NOT a religious event, even though small portions from several religious and philosophical texts are read out. Any former student will vouch for the fact that the college’s morning assembly is not a religious exercise. It is more of an occasion when the college’s junior members are encouraged to listen to men and women of character, and experienced people who share their wisdom and knowledge…,” said Varghese.

“In the light of the misworded email that was sent from my office, without my clearance, please now note that there will be no suspension with regard to attendance for the morning assembly. Parents are important stakeholders in the broad-based, wholesome education that the college provides, and it is in this spirit that parents were addressed in the incorrectly worded email, with inadvertent and serious errors… My apologies for that,” he added.

The principal did not reply to The Indian Express’s request for comment.

Earlier in the day, a first-year BA Programme student, requesting anonymity, told The Indian Express: “We were told earlier that we would face repercussions for not attending the morning assembly, but it was not mentioned anywhere that we would be suspended or debarred for appearing for the exams. The college can choose not to award us scholarships or grant us accommodation on the campus, as per their choice, but we never thought we would be debarred from sitting in the exams.”

Another first-year student said: “Since most of us come from different states, our parents could not come all the way to Delhi. Hence, after I received the email from the principal’s office. I requested an appointment to meet him, but was denied.”

Many students also claimed that the suspension and debarment from sitting in exams were issued only to those who have not attended even one morning assembly in January.

In an open letter written before the principal’s clarification, Professor Sanjeev Grewal, head of Economics department, said: “I am shocked to know that a large number of students have been suspended from the college, and also threatened to be debarred from sitting in the upcoming exams. In my opinion, students can be debarred from appearing in exams only on the grounds explicitly stated in rules and regulations of the university. To the best of my knowledge, the shortage of attendance in the morning assembly is not grounds for debarring these students from appearing in the exams…”

“….Students have a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution to not take part in any activity that involves religious instruction or worship conducted in any recognised educational institution or educational institution receiving financial aid from the government if they don’t give their free consent to it. Further, consent can be withdrawn at any stage, if the student or her/his parent(s), in the case of a minor, chooses to do so,” read Grewal’s letter. “…Apart from illegality, making students listen to religious scriptures against their will and forcing them to pray, possibly against their religious beliefs, is unethical and contrary to the liberal ethos of any institution of higher learning…”