MANGALORE: Students of the MCJ Department of Mangaore University have alleged that there was a political conspiracy behind the dharna led by ABVP against the department lecturer Umeshchandra. They have even complained that their studies had been hampered as the classroom was locked up while some students took part in the protest.
Speaking to The Canara Times, MCJ student Kevin Mendonca said so “The students are protesting alleging that a lecturer was speaking about the BJP government and on communalism, untouchability and caste based discrepancies. It is important for the journalism students to discuss such aspects. If there are no lectures on the current political developments etc then it cannot be a journalism class. The agitating students need to know this fact.”
He further said students were on a signature collection drive in support of lecturer Umeshchandra and that they would be shortly meeting the VC to submit a memorandum to him.
What do agitating students say?
When this correspondent spoke to a few lady students who were protesting holding saffron flags of the ABVP they had this to say “Umeshchandra is a good lecturer who is a well read man. He has every solution to our queries relating to the subject.But he criticizes the BJP government and refers to Sangh Parivar and Hindu organizations in the classes. In reality there was no problem in this regard. But the problem arose after Vijaya Karnataka published an article.”
Malik Siddique, a first year MCJ student says Umeshchandra does not give lectures that incite the students and adds a journalism class would mean lecturers have to shed light on the curent developments. A university is not a factory producing journalists. If it has to contribute a good journalist to the society, then he has to be aware of the facts.
Speaking to this correspondent Jagadish, lecturer said “ The present developments were a threat to Dalit lecturers and students. It is paradoxical that a Dalit teacher who speaks on Ambedkar’s thought in classes is criticized. Such developments are dangerous.”
“ If the students were matured enough then they would have understood such facts. It seems some students have not understood the lessons made by lecturer Umeshchandra,” says Dr PL Dharma, Lecturer in Political Science in Mangalore University.
NSUI threatens counter-agitation
Meanwhile, speaking to The Canara Times, NSUI District President Tejaswiraj said it would be inevitable for the NSUI to launch a counter agitation if the protest with prejudiced interests launched by the ABVP against a Dalit lecturer, was not withdrawn.
Related news:
- Are ideologies of Buddha, Basavanna, Ambedkar indigestible to varsity students?
- Harassment to Umeshchandra : Dalits protest before VC office
- Probe underway into offensive letter against varsity lecturer
- Complaint against Umeshchandra had no signature !
- ABVP protests against lecturer who spoke at Dalits’ meet
