Day 4: Agitation for removal of Principal intensifies as many other colleges takes part at demonstration in Cachar College

way2barak, Sept.26: The protest demonstration launched by ACTA Unit of Cachar College against the Principal, Siddhartha Sankar Nath has entered the 4th day. On Monday, the agitation further intensified as teachers from Radhamadhab College, GC College, MCD College Sonai, Janata College- Kabuganj, RS Girl’s College- Karimganj and NC College- Badarpur also joined the protest demonstration at Cachar College.

On behalf of the ACTA Central Committee two central executive committee members (CECM), Sudarshan Gupta from Cachar Zone and Dr Rupdatta Roy from Karimganj- Hailakandi Zone participated in the agitation programme. Further, Secretary of ACTA Karimganj- Hailakandi Zone, Sanjoy Seal was also present. President of ACTA Cachar Zone Chandan Paul Choudhury and Secretary Hemanta Kr Bora too took part in the protest demonstration.

Speaking during the occasion, Sudarshan Gupta, CECM from Cachar and also the member of the ACTA Steering Committee said, “This is a struggle for justice against the unjust, unethical and dictatorial rule unleashed by Siddhartha Sankar Nath, Principal of Cachar College. ACTA strongly condemns the physical assault and intimidation unleashed on the Teachers, non-teaching staff and members of the media by a handful of “student” hooligans at the behest of the principal. By doing such nefarious activities like using students against the teachers, the Principal is ruining their future, who could have been the torch bearers of the Guru-Sishho tradition of our nation. His nefarious ploy is now exposed.” Similar views were also aired by another CECM member from Karimganj- Hailakandi Zone, Dr Rupdutta Roy.

Dr Debojyoti Dasgupta, Associate Professor, NC College Badarpur and Khaled Azom Mazumder, HOD, History of MCD College, Sonai lamented being the alumni of Cachar College. Both of them recalled the pristine glorious days of this institution when renowned scholars adorned the chair of the Principal of the college. They said that the brazenly illegal, dictatorial and whimsical activities of the present Principal has earned a bad reputation of this temple of education. “To save the college from further decay, its high time that the Principal should go back from where he has come on lien,” said Khaled Mazumder.

Dr Ashima Roy, President of ACTA Unit of Radhamadhab College, Silchar and Arundhuti Dutta Choudhury, Treasurer of the same unit of ACTA severely criticised the role of a section of students who being allegedly instigated by the principal severely misbehaved with the teachers. “Even when those students under his undue shelter were throwing expletives against the teachers, pushing and shoving the teachers including the lady teachers in that fateful afternoon, the Principal did nothing to save his colleagues,” said Arundhuti Dutta Choudhury. Vice President of Cachar Zone, YP Singh too denounced the acts of the Principal in strong words. Airing his views, Md. Afsor Hussain Laskar of MCD College, Sonai too took a dig at the Principal and said that he has no moral ground to remain seated in the coveted chair of the Principal.

In his speech, Sanjoy Seal, Secretary of Karimganj- Hailakandi Zone said, “This sinister and deplorable design of the Principal, Cachar College, to pit a section of the students against the ACTA has been foiled by the students themselves. A large number of students have come out in the open on their own and stood by their ‘Gurus’ at this hour of crisis.” As the Cachar College teachers under the banner of ACTA have been battling for restoration of their ‘legitimate rights’, ACTA Units all over Assam have joined the agitation in solidarity with their Cachar College brethren.

Ananda Chandra Ghosh, Assistant Professor of Political Science of Cachar College said, “We demand of immediate removal of the Principal, Cachar College and replacement of the present President of Governing Body by an academician as per the Government Rules.” He further said, “Since he joined Cachar College in October 2019 as the Principal, he has been flouting all acts, statutes, rules and guidelines of the Government of Assam in the Higher Education Department in running the internal administration of the Institution. I was debarred for more than a year for entering the college premises by this principal taking an illegal decision in one of the GB meetings. I then filed a writ petition at the Gauhati High Court. The judiciary in its order clearly stated that the Principal or the GB cannot take any punitive measures against any college employee, yet this principal even did not pay any heed to the verdict of the Honourable High Court.”

Meanwhile, during the day, a Magisterial enquiry on the acts of the Principal was conducted by Executive Magistrate Kumar Gaurav Das. As per sources, some of the college teachers narrated the ordeal faced by them in the college since the last 3 years during the autocratic regime of Siddhartha Sankar Nath. It was learnt that when the Executive Magistrate came for the enquiry on Monday, Principal of the college, Siddhartha Sankar Nath was not found in his room. He was later on informed that he usually comes to college around 1 PM. The source revealed that just around 1.15 PM, the Principal sent through a messenger, his CL application. It was after that Md Samsuddin assumed the charge of Principal in-charge for the day in the afternoon.

Moreover, 6 new teachers after getting their appointment letters came for joining their service at Cachar College on Monday. However, they too had to wait for long hours as the Principal for reasons best known to him was not present in the college. Later on, it was learnt that when Md. Samsuddin took charge as in-charge Principal of the day after 1 PM, those new teachers signed their joining report.

As the TDC Even Semester Examinations are going on, it seems to be indeed strange that the Centre-in-charge, that is, the Principal is absent without any information till around afternoon. The morning session of the exam began at 9.30 AM and came to an end at 12.30 PM. However, till then, the Principal surprisingly did not come to the college. In case of any exigency during the exam, there was none in the chair of the Principal to tackle such situation. Cachar College indeed seems to be guardianless !