Sunday, January 10, 2016

JUSTICE FOR MAGSAYSAY AWARDEE PROF. SANDEEP PANDEY

(Arsalan Mohammad, AMU)
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Professor Sandeep Pandey, a visiting faculty of IIT-BHU, Magsaysay awardee and Vice-President of socialist party has been sacked by the BoG of IITs and V-C of BHU G. C. Tripathi on charges of being a Naxalite and Anti-National. We should strongly oppose and condemn the very action laid down by the Vice Chancellor of BHU. It would have been a different affair if his expulsion would have been done on the basis of his poor teaching performance, but since he was told that he is a Naxalite and Anti-national, is a very shameful allegation put on him and gives no proper reason of his discharge.

Prof. Sandeep Pandey is a social worker and raises his voice against social inequality. He demands for social justice and women empowerment. He has been contributing towards social welfare since decades. He is a Magsaysay award winner for the enormous efforts put in by him fighting for justice. He is a man who looks forward towards the development of backward communities. He raises his voice for SCs, STs, Backward Muslims and Naxalites. He openly speaks against fascism and other social evils.

Dr. Sandeep is the Vice-President of Socialist party, this clearly describes that he is a man who believes in socialistic ideology and likewise demonstration. His activism and protests have never been violent and aggressive. He is a believer of Gandhian Ideology that promotes peace, love, brotherhood and harmony. There lies no evidence of any event of his aggressive and violent demonstration.

In a lecture that he delivered on communal harmony at AMU in September 2014, he said that “Amit Shah is desh ka sabse bada ghunda hai.” (Amit Shah is the biggest criminal of this country), this became the headlines of all newspapers and Danik Jagran published it in all editions in the country. Being an upper caste Hindu and daring to speak like this is a payment and an outcome as his dismissal. No strong evidence has been produced for his expulsion.

Sacking Dr. Sandeep hardly affects his stature and livelihood but it is a mere notion that India is heading towards communalism and injustice. The way educational institutions are being saffronized is a threat to the nation’s pluralism. A person who speaks against injustice is called an antinational and naxalite. This is the violation of Freedom of speech Under Article 19 of the constitution. 

Therefore, we must strongly oppose such actions and demand for justice for Prof. Sandeep. We feel ashamed of people like
Prof. Girish Chandra Tripathi, who is an RSS associate. We demand immediate appointment of Prof. Sandeep at his last position. We demand removal of Prof. G. C. Tripathi from the post of V-C and the Board of Governors of IIT for his reprehensive and biased behaviour.