10 Dalit professors working in the university have resigned from their administrative posts together. They have taken this step against the caste discrimination and neglect of rights in the institute.
Bangalore. Bangalore University is once again in controversy. 10 Dalit professors working in the university have resigned from their administrative posts together. They have taken this step against the caste discrimination and neglect of rights in the institute. The teachers who resigned allege that despite serving for years, they were retained on temporary posts of ‘in-charge’, due to which they neither got the status of a permanent post, nor the benefit of leaves and other administrative facilities.
These professors have written a letter to the Vice Chancellor and clarified that this is not just administrative dissatisfaction, but the result of caste-based discrimination. They have written that for a long time, teachers coming from the Dalit community in the university are being deliberately denied promotions and permanent posts. Also, basic facilities like Earned Leave (EL) have been taken away from them, which have been available to teachers from other communities.
The professors say that when new chairs or posts are vacant in the institute, candidates from upper castes are given preference, while Dalit professors keep working in the name of ‘in-charge’. This not only exploits them, but also hurts their dignity.
This incident has come to light when cases of caste discrimination are being raised repeatedly in universities and higher education institutions across the country. After cases like Dr. Ashok Kumar (DU) and Dr. Ravi Verma (Andhra Pradesh), this incident of Bangalore University underlines that institutional injustice with the Dalit community in the field of higher education is a serious reality.
Now the question is whether the university administration will ignore this protest considering it only an “emotional reaction” or will it change the policy by implementing the demands of these professors? The professors who resigned have warned that if they are not given permanent posts and their rights within a week, they will completely distance themselves from administrative responsibilities. This crisis of Bangalore University is becoming a symbol of the plight of those Dalit teachers not only in Karnataka but across the country, who are still not getting equal status despite their qualifications.
Siddharth Gautam
Siddharth Gautam, who has an interest in journalism and writing, is a graduate from Delhi University. There he has been the winner of many university-level writing competitions. He has been associated with Dalit Dastak for the last two years and is working as a sub-editor.
Courtesy : Hindi News