In view of the mounting pressure from different quarters, including from the State Government, the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, on Saturday, has barred a teacher, accused of abusing a Dalit PhD student using casteist terms, from discharging his officials duties.
In a statement, Sabu Thomas, Vice Chancellor of the university, said he would directly hold the charge of the university centre where the Dalit student is pursuing her research, instead of Nandakumar Kalarikkal, the accused. This is in addition to giving her an opportunity to complete her research by exempting the additional fee and providing the necessary infrastructure, including library-lab-hostel facilities. Since her previous guide had opted out, she will be allotted a new guide.
The student, however, stood firm on her demand of dismissing Mr. Kalarikkal from service and said she would continue the hunger strike as there was no clarity on the action initiated. “The statement issued by the MGU is a mere eyewash. The institution has not initiated any action against him. I will not end the protest till he is ousted from the International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IIUCNN),” she posted on Facebook.
Minister’s stance
Earlier in the day, Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R. Bindu had reached out to the student, promising to address her concerns by keeping the accused teacher out of his office. In a message on social media, the Minister urged the university to resolve the student’s complaint at the earliest by taking into account the stances of the Kerala High Court as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission on the issue.
“The university has been asked to explain what prevents it from conducting an inquiry on the accused teacher by keeping him out of the office. It has been asked to furnish the documents, based on which the university has cited a technical impediment to taking action against the teacher,” said the Minister.
Appeal to student
“If the university keeps dragging its feet, the authorities will be instructed to ask the teacher to stay away. The student is requested to take this as an assurance and withdraw the protest,” she added.
The PhD student, who launched the hunger strike in front of the university entrance on October 29, alleged that she was not allowed to enter the laboratory and faced casteist abuse from Mr. Kalarikkal . During the course of the hunger strike, she also raised sexual harassment charges against a fellow researcher.
