Sexual harassment case at Gujarat institute IRMA takes new turn: Faculty members ask board to hear them

By Nachiketa Desai*
The board meeting of Gujarat’s well-known Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), is expected to be a stormy on Tuesday with some of the faculty members of the top institute bent on raising the issue of alleged sexual harassment (click HERE to read) of a senior staff member by the IRMA director.
In a letter, a group of faculty members have urged the IRMA board members to give them a hearing saying the director and some anonymous callers have been intimidating the witnesses of the sexual harassment case ever since the victim filed a police case.
"We have received explicit as well as veiled threats even from anonymous callers," the faculty members complained in their letter.
"Over the past few weeks the incumbent director has in many ways tried to coerce and intimidate individual faculty and witnesses putting them under tremendous stress and pressure, issues concerning the safety and protection of the complainant have been raised," the letter said.
"Under these conditions the faculty group strongly feels that they cannot function in a normal manner as long as the current director is allowed to have access to IRMA's resources during pendency of the case." Thus, the faculty members have indirectly sought the suspension of the director.

***

Reproduced below is the text of the letter. The names of the faculty members, who have signed it, have been withdrawn on request for anonymity:
"Concerned over the unfortunate turn of events following the recent complaint of sexual harassment fled by a woman employee of IRMA and having utmost regard to gender sensitivity, a faculty group of IRMA met twice (March 31 and April 5, 2017) to discuss and convey its views. The group expressed anguish over the way events have unfolded hurting the image of IRMA and felt that a representation be submitted to the Board sharing the faculty concerns, especially owing to lack of communication between faculty and Board on these issues. It would be immensely helpful for the faculty and the Institute if members of Board of Governors spare time for faculty so that the serious concerns are put forth and draw an immediate attention of the Board.
"The members of faculty brought to light several untoward incidents that have happened following the registration of case with the police. Faculty members, including witnesses in the case, shared that they have received explicit as well as veiled threats even from anonymous sources. In addition, over the last weeks, the incumbent director has in many ways tried to coerce and intimidate individual faculty and the witnesses putting them under tremendous stress and pressure. Issues concerning the safety and protection of the complainant also have been raised. Under these conditions the faculty group strongly feels that they cannot function in a normal manner as long as the current director is allowed to have access to IRMA’s resources during pendency of the case. We urge that the complainant and witnesses be given the necessary safeguards in seeking justice.
"Without doubt, all these have seriously affected the overall morale and functioning of the institute, especially when the crucial admission process of PRM/RPRM is on. The events have their media reporting have put IRMA’s reputation built assiduously over the years under severe scrutiny."
---
*Consulting Editor (Political), United News of India

Comments

World Bank clarifies: Its 26th rank to India not for universal access to power but for ease of doing business

By Our Representative
In a major embarrassment to the Government of India, the World Bank has reportedly clarified that it has not ranked India 26th out of 130 countries for providing power to its population. The top international banker’s clarification comes following Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s claim that India has “improved to 26 position from 99” in access to electricity in just one year.

Mental health: India's 95% patients "deprived" of medical care, treatment gap 70%

By Moin Qazi*
Among the many challenges India faces, the most underappreciated is the ongoing mental health crisis. Mental illness is actually India’s ticking bomb. An estimated 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million from anxiety disorders. For those who suffer from mental illness, life can seem like a terrible prison from which there is no hope of escape; they are left forlorn and abandoned, stigmatized, shunned and misunderstood.

Modi model? "Refusal" to build Narmada's micro canals, keep Kutch dry; help industry

By Medha Patkar*
This is the latest photograph of the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) of the Sardar Sarovar, as of April 8! What does it show, expose, and what memories do you recall? Is it dry or dead? Is it a canal or a carcass of the same?

Bill Gates "promoting" GMO, Bt cotton, like cartels that have roots in Hitler's Germany

By Our Representative
World-renowned environmental leader and ecologist Dr Vandana Shiva has expressed concern that Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation, has joined the bandwagon of “a poison cartel of three" – Monsanto and Bayer, Syngenta and ChemChina, Dow and DuPont – all of whom allegedly have “roots in Hitler’s Germany and finding chemicals to kill people”.

Indian talc products contain "contaminated" asbestos structures, can cause cancer: Study

Counterview Desk
A recent study, using polarizing light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, and X-ray analysis on multiple over-the-counter Indian talc products for the presence of asbestos, has concluded that large quantities of body talc products are likely to pose a public health risk for asbestos-related diseases, especially for the cancers related to asbestos exposure.

Why are you silent on discrimination against Dalit jawans? Macwan questions Modi

By Rajiv Shah
Close on the heels of releasing his book in Gujarati, "Bhed Bharat", which lists 319 cases of atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis across the country over the last five years, well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan has shot an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telling him the reasons why he does not want vote for the BJP.

Emergence of a rare Dalit teacher in IIT-Kanpur "disturbed" certain faculty members

By PS Krishnan, IAS (Retd)*
Dr Subrahmanyam Sadrela, a faculty member in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur since January 1, 2018, and one of the rare Dalit members of the faculty in IIT group of institutions, is facing the threat of revocation of his PhD thesis, and thereby also jeopardizing his job and career.

Investigation shows Narmada downstream "seriously" polluted. Reason: apathy, greed

By Rohit Prajapati, Krishnakant, Swati Desai*
Our investigation regarding quality of water flowing in the Narmada river downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD), dated April 6, 2019, between 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. reiterates, what is commonly known now, that the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is planned without considering its impact on the downstream Narmada River stretch of 161 kilometres, its ecology, biodiversity and fishery, and lakhs of people living close to and dependent on the river directly or indirectly. This, in turn, has led to its present disastrous state.

RTE in remote areas? Govt of India "plans" to close down 2.4 lakh schools

By Srijita Majumder*
The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, came into effect on April 1, 2010, for the first time made it obligatory on the part of the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children from 6-14 years of age in India. The Act, despite its limitations, had progressive elements like neighbourhood schools, community participation, ban on corporal punishment, no detention, continuous and comprehensive evaluation and it hence it appeared that India was not far from achieving universal elementary education.

Election Commission suffering from worst-ever "credibility crisis": Ex-bureaucrats

Counterview Desk
In an open letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, a group of ex-bureaucrats have lamented ‘weak-kneed’ responses of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Citing various violations of the model code of conduct, and pointing towards how ECI has taken little action, the letter asks the President to tell ECI to “conduct itself in a manner where its independence, fairness, impartiality and efficiency are not questioned.”

Counterview

Search This Blog