NEW DELHI, May 1: The Delhi High Court today gave the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) a last opportunity to come up with a positive response and end the stalemate that has already caused irreparable damage to the lives of a large number of students.A division bench comprising Justices R.C. Lahoti and Mukul Mudgal took a strong exception to the DUTA stance and observed that, so far, they had been sympathetic towards the teachers ``.but some day enough will be enough''. The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) seeking a direction from the court to the striking teachers to resume invigilation duties in view of the examinations. ABVP counsel Jugal Wadhwa sought urgent directions today, saying that the ongoing strike was affecting the lives and careers of a large number of students. The bench advised him to ``be patient''.Justices Lahoti and Mudgal appreciated the positive stance taken by the Union Human Resource and Development Minister and the University Grants Commission.Appearing for the union government, Additional Solicitor General C.S. Vaidyanathan submitted that the government still had an open mind and was willing to hold dialogues with DUTA and others. The counsel for the University Grants Commission (UGC) also submitted that there was scope for mutual negotiation and that the UGC was prepared to protect the interests of the teachers.``In our opinion, the UGC and the Government of India must appeal to DUTA and they must promptly reciprocate,'' the division bench observed. The counsel for DUTA, Raj Birbal, informed the court that the Executive Council was to meet on May 2 and would try to reach a settlement. Failing which, he added, the DUTA general body meeting would be held again on May 4 and a decision would be taken.The bench stated: ``Everybody is willing to reconcile except you. The government still has an open mind, the UGC says there is scope for negotiation.'' The division bench also observed that it was not proper for the teachers to force the government to bend and accede to all their demands. When DUTA counsel Birbal told the court that the teachers had the best interests of the students in mind, Judges Lahoti and Mudgal said that they too were under the same impression and did not want DUTA to make them think they were wrong. The bench stated that the teachers may suo motto take up their cause but the interests of the students must not suffer. The matter was then adjourned for May 5.
