Staff protest at Manabi college

KOLKATA: Classes at Krishnagar Women's College--India's first institute to have a transgender principal--have been stalled for a week owing to protests by the teaching and non teaching staff objecting to alleged financial and administrative irregularities by the administration. Principal

Manabi Bandyopadhyay

, however, insisted it was a ploy to harass a transgender person, who wanted to inculcate discipline and proper work culture.
Trouble started on November 29, when a letter, signed by 25 teaching and non-teaching members, was sent to

Nadia DM Sumit Gupta

, also the exofficio administrator of the institute. A charter of 12 complaints, including interference of outsiders in official and hostel work, operation of all financial transactions by the principal's son and not recruiting five non teaching members from November 26, 2015, while putting extra pressure on the existing staff, was submitted.

Bandyopadhyay , however, told TOI she was being harassed because she wanted to improve the work culture. “They are ganging up against me. The root of the problem is I, despite of being a transgender, have been recruited as a principal.Deep down, they feel transgenders are best suited for begging at traffic signals,“ she said. “I have been asked to withdraw the complaints I lodged against two staffers. I refuse to bow down to their pressure. Why stall classes?“ “I fear for my life.What will happen if I suffer a heart attack because of the harassment? I am thinking of quitting the job,“ she said.

DM Gupta told TOI the timing of the demonstration seemed questionable. “The college has just got a B+ rating from

NAAC

. Instead of speaking to me to solve the problems, the staff sent a letter and sat on a dharna,“ he said.

“ We've made no discrimination against our principal for her gender identity ,“ countered

Bula Modak

, assistant professor, history department.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.