Three teachers’ bodies have voiced concern over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comment on a possible “economic blockade” of universities which will function as per Governor C.V. Ananda Bose’s instructions and called for talks between Raj Bhavan and the State Government for an amicable solution to the crisis.
The Governor, who is embroiled in a face-off with the TMC Government on the issue of appointment of interim Vice-Chancellors, has appointed a number of them in universities which have no permanent heads. The Governor is the ex-officio chancellor of the State-run universities.
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The teachers bodies are the leftist West Bengal College and University Teachers' Association (WBCUTA), Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) and All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA).
Ms. Banerjee hit out at Mr. Bose on Tuesday for his "interference" in the functioning of State-run universities and said an "economic blockade" of the universities which function as per the Governor's will is not ruled out. "Let us see in which university you (Raj Bhavan) are able to pay salary [to the Vice-Chancellor]," she said.
WBCUTA president Subhoday Dasgupta told PTI that the academic fraternity at higher educational institutions are "caught in the fight between the Governor and the State. The students and other stakeholders of the educational institutions concerned have become the sufferers."
He accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of "encroaching" in the autonomy of universities by framing an act in 2017, which is the "precursor" to Raj Bhavan's "interference in universities functioning at present".
West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Act, 2017, was enacted to provide better administration and to improve the quality of education in the State-aided higher education institutions in the State.
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"Now the Governor is doing the same thing that had been done by TMC earlier — giving legitimacy to illegal interference in the functioning of universities in State.
"The Governor and the CM have led to a situation which is affecting the functioning of the State universities and the student community. The Governor's move to appoint interim V-Cs will not result in smooth running of universities. We don't support what he is doing and are also against the move by the State Government to have search committees whose members are from the ruling dispensation. This is aimed at having its [TMC's] hegemony in higher education. We urge both sides to sit for talks to end the stalemate," he said.
Mr. Dasgupta said the comment by Ms. Banerjee about the possibility of economic blockade in universities which abide by the Governor's directive and not the higher education department, is fraught with apprehension about teachers regarding the smooth academic functioning in those institutes which will not be in the interest of education.
"The comments by the Chief Minister on Teacher's Day do not augur well for the teaching community. The teachers do not support the Governor's actions either and want smooth the functioning of the educational institutions," Partha Pratim Roy, the general secretary of JUTA, which is JU's biggest body, told PTI.
"We don't wish any of our colleagues anywhere to face the situation where they will not get their salary for no fault on his/her part. We want appointment of full-time V-Cs in every university and return to normalcy," he added.
ABUTA said Ms. Banerjee's comments "reflected the mindset of the past and present regimes towards the issue of State funding of universities."
Its spokesperson and senior professor Goutam Maity said that since the days of the Left Front Government the teaching community, including V-Cs are made to get the impression that their salaries are given by the ruling regime."
"Such utterances, even if made verbally during a speech against any alleged interference by the Governor, are against the concept of functional autonomy of a higher educational institution," he said.
