A PhD student of Jadavpur University’s international relations department who was allegedly attacked by a teacher for her caste posted a statement on Facebook on Wednesday night saying she is “hoping that the authorities take urgent action”.
An assistant professor who was the research supervisor of the student allegedly attacked her in a meeting of the PhD research committee (PRC) on September 9 by referring to her caste identity by citing terms such as “quota”. The teacher has denied the charges.
The student, who is from the Other Backward Classes category, has posted: “I have been allotted a temporary guide in the meantime. However, no action has been taken regarding the casteist comments made on my name in an official (PRC) meeting.
“I want to say that I am extremely affected by this incident. I am hoping that the authorities take urgent action regarding this matter.”
Iman Kalyan Lahiri, head of JU’s international relations department, had written to VC Suranjan Das on September 12, seeking “action” against the accused teacher .
The VC sent back the complaint to the departmental research committee because he thought the committee had the authority to take steps.
The student told The Telegraph that she was upset with the fact that no action had been taken and that prompted her to make the post in Facebook.
“It has been over a month that the teacher allegedly attacked me on the basis of my caste identity by referring to terms like ‘quota’. Thereafter, the department wrote to the university authorities. But nothing has happened. I am upset with this,” she said.
The PRC, whose members include teachers of the international relations department, met last month to discuss the student’s plea that her supervisor be replaced because she felt her research was not progressing at a desired pace.
“I belong to the Adivasi community of Assam. And after securing admission to a prestigious university like Jadavpur on my merit, it is highly disappointing and sad to hear such casteist and discriminatory comments in an academic space,” she wrote on Facebook.
Lahiri said on Thursday: “The departmental research committee does not have any authority to take steps because a teacher is an employee of the university.”
When contacted, VC Das said: “I will only say that the law will take its course”.
