Groundxero | 9 July, 2023

More than 500 academics from around the world have come forward to condemn the suspension of four teachers at the South Asian University (SAU). In an appeal to the foreign ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and to its Secretary-General, the academics have urged the ministers to “intervene in this regard and call upon the SAU administration to immediately revoke the unfair and arbitrary suspension orders and establish a congenial academic environment in the university.”

On June 16, 2023, the South Asian University (SAU) suspended four faculty members — Snehashish Bhattacharya from the Faculty of Economics, Srinivas Burra from the Faculty of Legal Studies, Irfanullah Farooqi from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science, and Ravi Kumar, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science. The university saw various student protests in November 2022 demanding increase in their monthly stipend and fair representation in sexual harassment and gender sensitization committees. The four faculty members were suspended on grounds of inciting students’ protest on campus and running a Marxist study circle. The suspended faculty members were issued show-cause notices on December 30, 2022, for writing emails to the university community, wherein they expressed concerns and questioned the perceived lack of empathy in the SAU administration’s handling of protest by students.

The letter signed by eminent global scholars from universities in India, US & UK like Akeel Bilgrami, Amit Bhaduri, Anu Muhammad, Anupama Rao, Costas Lapavitsas, David Ruccio, Gyan Prakash, Irfan Habib, Jayadeva Uyangoda, Jayati Ghosh, Kevin Anderson, Mukul Kesavan, Nancy Folbre, Partha Chatterjee, Prabhat Patnaik, Satish Deshpande, Sheldon Pollock, S. D. Muni, Tony Anghie, Zoya Hasan and others, came days after 81 academics from Bangladesh also wrote to the South Asian University demanding revocation the of suspension order.

The solidarity letter signed by the 502 scholars stated: “The administration called in police to disperse students exercising their democratic right to protest. The suspended professors had registered their concerns about calling police to the campus to intervene against students and regarding the retributive measures taken by the administrators against the protesting students. The professors were urging the university to take a constructive approach to addressing the students’ concerns and resolving conflicts”. The scholars added that the action of the SAU administration “also stand in conflict with a faculty’s obligations to speak on students’ behalf and ensure a safe and supportive learning environment that promotes the well-being and educational development of students.”

“Teaching, conducting research, and contributing to the academic community are all integral parts of a faculty member’s professional responsibilities. Thus, the suspension order violates the basic rights of faculty members to exercise their professional skills and fulfill their obligations, while at the same time, denying the students of valuable instruction and mentorship,” it said.

“Recognizing and respecting the professional skills and contributions of faculty members is crucial for fostering a vibrant and productive academic community. Ultimately, the goal of any academic institution is to create an environment that protects the welfare of students while upholding the principles of justice, fairness, and respect for the rights of faculty members. The arbitrariness and callous disregard with which the administrators have taken actions against the professors violate the norms of accountability, transparency, integrity and sustainability of academic institutions. This will undermine a vibrant and productive academic community and can erode the trust and academic character of the university,” the letter read.

The Pdf copy of the letter along with the list of signatories is given here.