Teachers of Patna University at the function on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Oct. 1: All is not well for Patna University. Some senior teachers have boycotted the foundation day function expressing dissatisfaction over alleged failure of the university authorities to address teachers sitting below the dais.

Democratic Teachers’ Forum convener N.K. Choudhury boycotted the function today. Choudhury, who is also a senior professor of the Economics department, said though the university had organised a big and important function it had made no efforts to properly welcome teachers who were present at the Wheeler Senate Hall.

Dignitaries such as Governor Devanand Konwar, vice-chancellor Shyam Lal, pro-vice-chancellor Syed I. Ahson and Central University vice-chancellor Janak Pandey were present for the function.

Choudhury complained that the dignitaries had overlooked the teachers who were seated in the auditorium and did not even mention them in their speeches.

Choudhury told The Telegraph: “Pro-vice-chancellor Syed I. Ahson did not even mention the teachers present at the function. This was a gross insult to the teachers. So I have decided to boycott the function.”

Teachers present at the function also complained of widespread mismanagement.

One of them said the teachers had not been given invitation cards. Some of them had not even been informed of the function.A professor of Patna College said: “We were expecting the university to felicitate eminent retired teachers.”

He said: “We were hoping that prominent teachers such as R.S. Sharma, P. Dayal and Rambhujawan Singh would be honoured at the function. However, we were very surprised as none of them turned up for the event.” None of the former vice-chancellors of the university, such as K.K. Jha, J. Thakur and S.N.P Sinha were also present for the function.

University authorities accepted that some mismanagement had taken place. However, they cited the verdict of the Ayodha case as a cause for it.

An official said though invitations had been prepared for all, some had not reached on time.