Shocked at the resignation of Prof. Dinesh Gupta, Chairman, University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh some of the senior teachers today met and drafted the following letter addressed to Prof. Gupta, with a copy forwarded to the Vice Chancellor. The letter is duly signed by more than 75 teachers across different discipline on the campus. Scanned copy with signatures is also attached here with.
Following is the text of the letter:
“Prof. Dinesh K.Gupta,
University Business School, PU, Chandigarh
(Copy to Vice Chancellor, PU, Chandigarh)
The news of your resignation from Chairmanship UBS and Professorship of Panjab University has sent shock waves all across the campus. Not only it bespeaks of slipshod treatment meted out to a senior teacher like you by the University authorities, it also smacks of politicization of teacher-taught relations – a bond that lends dignity to academics and teaching. We all know the modus operandi that has been put into operation, of late, to malign some teachers. First, the protest of the students, often managed backstage by political lobbies, is allowed to take monstrous proportions, and then the teachers are intimidated and bullied to surrender to the peace-formula worked out by the administration. The so-called peace-formula, as usual, disregards the dignity of teachers, their contribution and dedication to the profession with such callous ease that they are left with no choice but to resign.
We, the following teachers, express our support to you in this hour of crisis. It seems that the University authorities refuse to learn lessons from the flak they received on mismanaging the crisis in the Dental
Institute and Hospitable recently. Today, you are pinned down; tomorrow it could be the turn of someone else. The protocols of academics prevent teachers from coming to the streets, but if the vilification and
victimization of teachers continues, the University would become a battleground of all sorts. Your resignation is a wake up call for the entire community, and we reiterate that in no way we would let your resignation be
accepted by the authorities. It is time that those who are sitting at the helm of affairs self-reflect and look beyond their feudal mindsets.”