Sacking of Visva-Bharati University professor ‘brazenly illegal’: Noam Chomsky, 261 academics write to President

Besides Chomsky, academics like Utsa Patnaik, Partha Chatterjee, Uma Chakravarti, Amit Bhaduri, Amiya Bagchi, Prabhat Patnaik, Harbans Mukhia, Sunanda Sen, Sabuj Kali Sen, Jayati Ghosh, Nivedita Menon, among others, signed the letter, which stated the order to terminate Bhattacharya was against the principles of natural justice.“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 (Bidyut Chakrabarty). As the Visitor of Visva-Bharati and the custodian of statutes and ordinances of the university, we urge you to kindly intervene in this matter to ensure that this institute of national importance that was founded by Rabindranath Tagore continues to foster the spirit of ‘where the mind is without fear’ instead of descending into a saga of vendetta, intimidation and highhandedness by its authorities,” reads the letter.

Bhattacharya, the president of the Visva-Bharati Faculty Association, received the termination letter on December 22 last year. Acting registrar Ashok Mahato mentioned in the letter that the decision to terminate him was taken by the university’s executive council.

The central university authorities had claimed that the professor’s involvement in alleged gross misconduct led to his termination, but a larger section of the Visva-Bharati community described the termination as “an act of vengeance” by the vice-chancellor against whom Bhattacharya had sent a series of letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (the Chancellor), the Union Education Minister and several others.

“Council of the university has ‘resolved to discontinue your service/contract with Visva-Bharati’ in a meeting held on 14.12.2022. Thereafter, a series of ‘misconducts’ have been listed without specifying either the dates and other details of the incidents 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 faculty member has been asked to submit his “representation, if any, against the proposed discontinuation of your service/contract within 15 (fifteen) days” pending which the decision will be finalised by the competent authority. However, the competent authority has already made up its mind on the professor’s culpability and decided upon his termination from services. This goes against the principles of natural justice,” the letter pointed out

Asked about the letter, Bhattacharya said that faculty members had contacted Chomsky and apprised him of the development, following which the linguist and social critic expressed solidarity with him. Visva Bharati authorities, however, refused to comment on the matter.

A section of students has been staging demonstrations on the campus since November over the alleged denial of hostel accommodation to some of their peers and the suspension of six others.
The convocation ceremony and the annual Poush Mela (a fair held in the Bengali month
of Poush) have been called off by the university in the wake of the unrest.

In a media statement last week, a Visva Bharati spokesperson listed a series of alleged activities of the students such as vandalism at the vice-chancellor’s chamber and ante-chamber, ransacking of CCTV monitors, physical assault on the V-C, and attack on the registrar’s private residence and the V-C’s official home, and said the university would be taking legally endorsed steps, including rustication and dismissal, to restore peace on the campus.
— With PTI Inputs

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