BK MISHRA,
5 DECEMBER 2006, TIMES NEWS NETWORK, PATNA.
The working of all the constituent Colleges and Post-Graduate Departments of Patna University (PU) remained completely paralysed on Monday as the University Teachers went on a day’s mass casual leave and offered day-long Dharna in protest against the gruesome murder of PU History Professor Papiya Ghosh. The entire Campus wore a deserted look as neither Students nor teachers turned up at their respective Departments.
Shocked Teachers sat on Dharna at Wheeler Senate House in support of their demands, including a CBI inquiry into the killing, immediate arrests of the assailants and stern punishment to the guilty through Fast Track Court, payment of Rs.25 lakh as compensation to the next of the kin of the slain and adequate security to PU Teachers.
The agitating Teachers wore black badges to register their protest. Posters pasted on the walls of Wheeler Senate House depicted slogans like “Papiya was great, long live Papiya”, “Save us, save education”, and “Shikshak bachao, des bachao”.
Nearly 300 Teachers, led by Patna University Teachers’ Association President, Upendra Kishore Sinha and General Secretary, Randhir Kumar Singh, sat on Dharna. PU Pro-VC, S Ehteshamuddin, former VC Jagannath Thakur, Dean Students’ Welfare, E A Arshad, Registrar, Vibhas Kumar Yadav, Principals of different Colleges and Heads of Post-Graduate Departments also sat on Dharna.
Later, a delegation of the PU Teachers’ Association submitted a separate Memorandum of its demands to the Governor, CM, HRD Minister, Patna DM and SSP and demanded immediate arrests of the culprits.
Several Students’ Organizations, including All India Students Association (AISA), National Students Union Of India (NSUI), Lok Jantantrik Chhatra Morcha ensured complete closure of Colleges and University Departments and organized a protest march. They also held a condolence meeting at Darbhanga House.
The Officers and Staff of PU held a meeting under the Chairmanship of the VC, Y. Simhadri. The Office remained closed after the Condolence Meeting. A Meeting of Teachers, Students and Staff of the History Department described Papiya as a sincere Teacher dedicated to academic pursuits.
PUTA and PU College Karmachari Sangha have also mourned the tragic end of Papiya and demanded a CBI inquiry into the twin murder case.