Cachar College Principal and GB nailed, DHE directs to withdraw order served on Nayana Goswami

way2barak, Sept.10: In an unconventional and illegitimate way, Principal of Cachar College conducted a Governing Body Meeting chaired by its President Sashanka Sekhar Dhar on 30 May, 2022. Violating all existing government norms of conducting GB Meeting, the Secretary- Principal, Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath conducted the meeting with 29 members, some of them even being Grade IV temporary staff. In that “unconstitutional meeting” (as it violated rules of conducting GB meeting), several “vindictive & illegal” resolutions were adopted to victimise a college teacher for being upright and honest in expressing her rights.

Infact, Principal of Cachar College, Silchar, Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath on 25 April, 2022 issued an order wherein on the pretext of interdisciplinary academic practice attached the 3 faculty members of of the Department of Sanskrit to other academic departments and directed them to take regular classes in other departments apart from taking classes in Sanskrit. The attachment was made by the Principal in the following manner:

• Dr Ashima Bhattacharjee, Associate Prof & Head, Department of Sanskrit was attached to the Dept of Bengali
• Dr Shilpi Dutta Mazumder, Assistant Professor, Dept of Sanskrit was attached to the Dept. of English.
• Miss Nayana Goswami, Assistant Professor, Dept of Sanskrit was attached to the Dept of History.

Out of them, Nayana Goswami expressed her displeasure and wrote back to the Principal expressing her inability to take class in Sanskrit. She also categorically stated that as she was appointed by the DHE Assam for teaching Sanskrit, it was illegal on the part of the Principal to attach her with other department. Nayana further categorically stated that such type of attachments will also damage the academic growth of the students of the department to which she was attached. She regarded this act of the Principal as “forceful, illegal & unethical having harassment tendency.”

This letter perhaps bulldozed the ego of the Principal who convened a GB Meeting with 29 members (illegal composition) on 30 May, 2022. Confirming this, a few members who attended the meeting revealed that the Principal by means of a power point presentation tried to justify his action of allotting classes to the teachers of Sanskrit in other departments. Moreover, as a punishment for being upright, Nayana Goswami was burdened with the task of taking classes in History and Philosophy along with her parent department of Sanskrit. The decision of the GB was conveyed to Nayana on 6 June, 2022. In that letter, she was also informed that as per Resolution No 8(4) dated 30.05.2022, her name was dropped from all confidential works, committees and cells.

Meanwhile, the Heads of History and Philosophy allotted classes to Nayana Goswami and this was also noted down in the class routine of the college. Nayana again wrote to the Principal expressing her inability to teach in the other two departments. She also reminded the Principal that this was against the existing UGC and DHE guidelines.

It is in this context that ACTA had submitted a written complaint to the Director of Higher Education (DHE), Assam in the month of June, 2022. Following this, Nayana Goswami also submitted a prayer for justice to the DHE. When the DHE Assam came for conducting an enquiry at Cachar College on 30 August against the Principal, the issue came to surface again and Nayana Goswami placed before him the series of injustice inflicted upon her by the Principal invoking resolutions adopted in that “illegal GB Meeting.”

Finally, on 8 September, 2022, DHE Assam in a strict letter issued to the Principal of Cachar College, Silchar asked him to abstain from allotting of classes to Nayana Goswami in non-relevant departments. The DHE Assam in his letter further directed the Principal of Cachar College that “As Nayana Goswami is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sanskrit, she should not be engaged in other subjects which are not relevant to her department.” The letter was issued to the Principal for information and necessary action.

This letter issued by the DHE Assam has indeed exposed the wrong doings of the Principal of Cachar College, Silchar & its Governing Body in victimising a female teacher. The letter also stands as a corrective measure adopted by the real Employer (the DHE) of the college teachers against arbitrary and illegitimate decisions taken by the Governing Body of a College. ACTA has expressed the view that if the acts of the Principal of the college are jeopardising the life and career of the teachers, definitely the DHE needs to take some more bold steps against such persons misusing his power and position.

Also Read: DHE’s instruction compels Cachar College authority to allow Ananda Ghosh to enter college