Around 10,000 college teachers in 250 plus colleges write to CM Assam for removal of Principal of Cachar College

way2barak, Sept.25: The prestige of Cachar College, a reputed institution of higher studies in Barak Valley, has been marred in the media and public domain in recent times due to various unwanted happenings. The protest movement launched by the teachers of Cachar College, Silchar has now caught momentum and has drawn the attention of college teachers throughout the state.

At the call of Assam College Teacher’s Association (ACTA), around 10,000 teachers of more than 250 provincialised colleges of the state on 24 September wore black badges in 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. Demand was also raised for awarding exemplary punishment to those students who pounced on the teachers like goons.

A memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma was sent by more than 250 provincialised colleges of Assam. The copies of the memorandum were also sent to Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu and Director of Higher Education (DHE) Assam. In the said memorandum sent to CM Assam on 24 September, President of ACTA Himangshu Maral and General Secretary Dr Jayanta Borah wrote, “Brazenly illegal, dictatorial and whimsical activities of the present Principal, Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath, have told upon the academic atmosphere on the campus. 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.”

“From asking an Assistant Professor of Sanskrit to teach History and Philosophy, to holding GB meeting with more than twenty unauthorized people; from spending crores of rupees without budgetary approval and statutory audit, to obstructing the entry to the campus of an Assistant Professor of Political Science for 16 months his list of misdemeanours is endless,” added ACTA in its memorandum.

Further narrating the ordeal, ACTA stated in their memorandum, “The situation reached a crescendo when he let loose a few students on the teachers and non-teaching staff on 21 September 2022, clearly to intimidate the teachers who have been protesting against his dictatorial attitude of functioning. 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.”

It is in this backdrop, that ACTA adopted 3 resolutions:

1. Immediate removal of the Principal, Cachar College in the academic interest
2. Replacement of the present President, GB by an academician as per the Government Rules
3. Exemplary punishment to those students who pounced on the teachers like goons

As such, on 24 September, more than 250 provincialised colleges across the state wore black badges expressing solidarity to the teachers of Cachar College, Silchar. Moreover, the protest demonstration started by ACTA Unit of Cachar College on 22 September was decided to be continued till 30 September. At the appeal of ACTA, college teachers from Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi also resolved to take part in phase manner at the ongoing protest movement going on in Cachar College. On Saturday, the third day of the protest movement, teachers from GC College, Radhamadhab College, Karimganj College sat in protest demonstration with ACTA Unit of Cachar College.

Expressing his views, ACTA President, Himangshu Maral said, “ACTA members in colleges across Assam wore black badges today (24 Sept) in protest against the autocracy of Principal, Cachar College and humiliation and assault of the teachers at his behest and in demand of his termination from Principal’s post. A memorandum to that effect was submitted to the Hon’ble Chief Minister with copies to the Hon’ble Education Minister and the Director of Higher Education demanding restoration of the normal academic atmosphere in the college by removing both the principal and the Governing Body (GB) President. There was a huge response from about 10,000 colleagues in more than 250 colleges. Long live Teachers’ unity! Long live ACTA!”

Later on during the day, releasing a press statement, ACTA central leadership wrote, “ACTA strongly condemn 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 of Cachar College, Sri Siddhartha Sankar Nath on 21st September, 2022. This was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the Principal with the evil objective of breaking the morale of the Teaching and Nonteaching staff who have shown their guts to stand against his dictatorial rule, administrative and financial irregularities and other countless misdeeds. 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.”

President & the General Secretary of ACTA in their press release further wrote, “In view of the above, ACTA ardently appeals to the civil society actors, organizations, various employees’ associations and media friends to stand in solidarity with the teachers of Cachar College for the sake of safeguarding the sanctity and dignity of Higher Education in Assam! Save Cachar College! Save Higher Education!
ACTA Long Live!”

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