No takers for 1 month leave : Political appointment
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 04 2018 -
One month leave granted to AP Pandey.
Manipur University community not at all impressed, sticking to their one line demand, ‘Remove AP Pandey as VC of Manipur University.’
Far from being impressed with the latest development, the university fraternity has dubbed the ‘taken leave’ missive as a ploy to protect Pandey.
So what is the way forward ?
Not likely that the Union Human Resource Development Ministry will buckle under the pressure of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA, for their line of argument will be that they have done something, that is sent the VC on leave for one month, pending the final report of the inquiry committee set up to probe the charges levelled against AP Pandey.
At the moment there just does not seem to be an answer but what all concerned should not forget is the future of thousands of students, particularly students who have just given their 6th Semester exams in the colleges affiliated to Manipur University.
What if any of these students want to go outside Manipur for their further studies ?
Will other universities provide them the leeway given that MU has been paralysed for more than 60 days now ? Unlikely.
For students who may continue their Masters at MU, the stand off may not mean much to their further studies but what about students who want to pursue further studies in subjects which are not offered at MU ?
This is a question which should not blow over the heads of anyone, including the Union Human Resource Development.
On the other hand, it will also help all if the agitating bodies, particularly MUTA let the teachers in them dictate their future course of action.
Such a line of reasoning failed to move the VC, but this should not mean that MUTA too should adopt a similar stand.
Mark our words, it is not going to be a case of who wins and who loses.
Already the losses have been the students, particularly the students who have just finished their 6th Semesters and want to go outside for further studies.
This makes it more than clear that it is not Professor AP Pandey who will lose or MUTA, whichever way the MU crisis turns, but the students who have already lost in a big way.
It is also amply clear that AP Pandey enjoys political clout with the BJP led Government at New Delhi and this is one reason why he has refused to let the teacher in him speak and toe the line of the university community.
Unfortunate it is, but now it is more than clear that the appointment of AP Pandey as the VC of Manipur University was more a case of political appointment rather than an academic appointment.
A case of awarding a man who shares the same ideology as the party in power at New Delhi.
And this is where everyone concerned need to look back and come to the point that it was the internal ruckus at MU which left the door wide open for the Centre to step in and send their hand picked man.
This is a point which has been repeated more than once in this column and it is doubtful that the point that has been conveyed has been noted and digested to avoid such a situation in the future.
Unfortunate but true it is that the appointment of a VC at MU should be politicised to such an extent.
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