Cuttack, March 7: Student leaders, both former and present, have aired conflicting views over yesterday's unexpected resignation of Ravenshaw University vice-chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi protesting against a "politicised" campus.
Sarangi agreed to withdraw his resignation after governor S.C. Jamir had persuaded him to stay on.
Higher education minister Pradip Panigrahi today made it clear that the state government never interfered in the affairs of universities.
He said: "The students have their problems and it depends on the leadership of a vice-chancellor to resolve them."
However, many academics, including vice-chancellor of Utkal University Ashok Das, expressed concern at Sarangi's statement.
Archana Nayak, the first woman president of Ravenshaw in 1986, said: "The outburst of the vice-chancellor only confirms what we have been sensing for the past few years."
"Using of students by political parties has led to frequent disturbances on the campus. The apparent state of affairs makes us think twice now before sending our kin to study at Ravenshaw," said Nayak, a former MP.
Former student leader of Ravenshaw Nayan Mohanty, who is now the BJP state vice-president, said: "The recent deterioration of the academic atmosphere at Ravenshaw is because of politicisation of the campus. It would be appropriate on the part of the government to order a probe to ascertain the extent of meddling by political parties in the administration of the university."
City Congress president Md Moquim said the statements made by the vice-chancellor pointed to "a serious state of affairs due to local political pressure".
He said: "Everyone knows how the local BJD MLA has turned Ravenshaw into a political playground by using a group of students."
Accused of putting pressure on Ravenshaw authorities in matters of students affairs, BJD MLA Pravat Biswal, a member of the executive council as local MLA, said: "Nowhere in his statements before the media has the vice-chancellor mentioned any political party, any MLA or MP."
"I have had no interaction with the vice-chancellor in the past two months since I had been busy in Sundargarh for the panchayat elections. Also, I have nothing to say about the action taken against the six students because those found guilty have to be punished," Biswal said.
The student union is peeved with the vice-chancellor for reacting to the students' protest demanding immediate withdrawal of the suspension order of the six students. President of student union Lalat Keshari Das said: "The protest was done in a democratic way to ventilate the grievances of the students. But, it was very unfortunate that he felt it was done at the behest of a political group."
"Students have the democratic right to protest. It is not necessary that it should be backed by a political group or party. We will continue to demand withdrawal of the suspension order and if required, intensify our protest," said Subrat Kumar Satpathy, secretary of the student union.
A postgraduate student of statistics, Amarendra Nayak, said: "The vice-chancellor should clarify which political group or party or political leader was interfering in the administration of the university." Undergraduate information and technology management student Chinmay Kumar Sahoo echoed Nayak.
Around 12.30pm yesterday, Sarangi, 63, had shot off his resignation letter to the governor after unruly students barged into his official chamber and began a sit-in demonstration demanding withdrawal of disciplinary action against six students suspended for their involvement in campus violence.
Later he opened up before the media blaming the interference of political groups in the administration by inciting students and saying resignation was better than succumbing to such pressures.
