On December 23, 2022, Visva Bharati University (VBU) in West Bengal’s Shanitiniketan suspended six students. The suspensions came a day after the varsity issued notice for termination to a professor. The suspensions and termination are the latest in a long list of harassments meted out by the university’s Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, allege students and teachers.
Ever since Bidyut Chakraborty took office as VC in VBU in 2018, the university has been witnessing constant agitations. Students and teachers who spoke to TNM allege that from increasing admission fees, restricting movement of faculty and students on campus to refusing hostel accommodation and indirectly enforcing Hindu religious practices, the VC has employed several harassment tactics. Bidyut Chakraborty had received adverse file notings against him in a case of sexual harassment, which led to adverse remarks while his candidature was under consideration for the post of Delhi University VC in 2015.
Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya, president of the Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA), who had been vocal against the VC’s actions, was issued a termination notice on December 22. He had just rejoined service after a 21 month suspension for filing an RTI about irregularities in appointments. On December 23, the university announced the suspension of six students, three of whom were Dalits, and two OBCs. Interestingly, the university had also issued orders to ‘suspend’ another person from Dalit community, who was no longer a student there.
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