Stir by Ashoka University students on, alumni map future action

NEW DELHI: Dissatisfied with the response of

Ashoka University

vice-chancellor

Malabika Sarkar

, students continued their protest on Friday against the resignation of professors

Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Arvind Subramanian

.

The alumni council also held a meeting to discuss the future course of action to “protect the academic freedom in the university”. They also discussed how faculty members and students could get representation in the management. Sources said a few trustees of the university also met Mehta.

The students’ body had issued a form showing

solidarity

with the two professors. While the alumni council and students signed the form, it was also open to all those who wanted to express their solidarity.

A statement from the students said, “We firmly believe that as members and stakeholders of the Ashokan community, we should be able to demand transparency from the founders and trustees regarding the events that have taken place. We strongly condemn the conditions that led to the resignations and lack of transparency from the university administration. Professors Mehta and Subramanian are invaluable members of the Ashokan community and we are extremely saddened that they submitted their resignations.”

As a part of their demands, the students want the university to re-offer Mehta his position. They also want the process of resignation to be made more transparent.

“The events that transpired point to failure on the part of the chancellor and vice-chancellor in protecting the university’s faculty members from external pressures. More importantly, it also points towards the failure of the founders to ensure the same. We are concerned about the larger implications this has on the freedom of speech for Ashoka’s students and faculty. This is not the first time that professors have come under fire for their opinions and/or their course content,” said the statement.