In an outrageous and unprecedented move, recently, South Asian University, suspended four professors on arbitrary charges of ‘inciting and leading students…against the interests of the University’, and ‘anti-social acts’, among other things.
The suspension order came against the backdrop of students’ protests that have been ongoing since September 2022. Students were protesting against a number of pertinent issues, prominent among them being – the decision to reduce scholarships for master’s students and lack of student representation in the gender sensitization and sexual harassment committees. This is not the first time that students have raised legitimate demands. Over the past couple of years, there have been several protests over issues ranging from food provisioning to revision of PhD scholarships in parity with UGC-Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), and throughout, the administration, citing financial crunch as the reason, has been impervious to the demands of the students.
This time, administration has surpassed the levels of their own insensitivity and adopted a high-headed and heavy- handed approach in its dealings with the students, and the faculty. The administration called police to the University, twice, to disperse the students and issued office orders announcing expulsion, rustication or suspension of 5 students. In response, a few faculty members voiced their concerns to the administration, stating that such acts constitute ‘gross violation of proctorial rules as well as SAU rules and regulations, and by-laws and contravention of principles of natural justice.’ Given that the voice of reason had long left the corridors of power in SAU, administration remained adamant, and rather vindictive.
Students strengthened their resolve and went on a mass hunger strike. Lack of empathy and outright apathy of the administration caused serious mental and physical distress to the students. One student collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest. He could be resuscitated, but his condition remains serious. A female student, who was expelled, was forcefully evicted from the hostel. She commenced an indefinite sit-in in front of the gate of the University, but her health deteriorated and she had to end her sit-in protest. Four of the faculty members who had written to the administration against their callous attitude towards the students were called in front of a Fact-Finding Committee (FFC) and were asked to answer some 132–246 questions, accusing them of ‘misconduct’, supporting Marxist reading circle, etc. After which, they were unjustly suspended. The aim here seemed clear, to target, insult and humiliate a group of faculty members with certain ideological affiliations. They were also told that their answers, or, their decision not to answer certain questions can be used against them in future. Further adding to the insult, the faculty members are ordered to not leave the station without permission, return their identity cards, and register their attendance on all working days in the office of their respective Deans. The suspension of the four faculty members reeks of repression akin to McCarthyism.
In all this, the hubris of the administration stands out. However, their arrogance stands on hollow grounds, and in fact, the SAU admin, owing mostly to their own ‘competence’, has become completely dysfunctional.
Since the last couple of years, there has been no permanent appointment for the posts of President, Vice President and Registrar as the decision has to be taken by the Governing Board – constituted by members of all eight nations, which has not met in the past five years to make the appropriate appointments. Moreover, as an international University, it does not come under direct jurisdiction of the Indian government. Due to the lack of outside accountability, the ‘Acting’ President and his ‘Acting’ entourage, have assumed an autocratic and draconian demeanour to cultivate an environment of fear and mistrust.
South Asian University established by SAARC nations – a space imagined for proliferation of regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and policy dialogue for both students and faculty has become an autocratic space that stifles intellectual process, freedom of speech, and protects people accused of sexual harassment. The continued disregard and apathy of the administration has completely undermined the idea of South Asian University based on fostering solidarity beyond borders, and in all, the victim is academia and its sincere stakeholders.
In the neoliberal era of privatization, the situation of students as a community has increasingly become precarious and uncertain. The students are the biggest stakeholders of the University. They, particularly PhD scholars, spend years engaging in intellectual pursuits without any certainty of remunerative future prospects. On top of that, the system creates conditions that further push them to the brink of economic impoverishment. But the students are resilient, and they continue to carry on the long legacy of speaking truth to power.
