<p>On the eve of Diwali, the vice chancellor paid a visit to the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) office. But the members present said few demands were raised during the interaction with not much promised on any.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“We did not know that the VC is coming. It was an informal gathering where DUTA and other association members were present. They asked him about four-year graduation and the workload on teachers, to which he said it will increase,” said DUTA member Abha Dev Habib.<br /><br />According to members, the VC was asked about recruitment to which he said the process has already started.<br /><br />“When we tried to counter question or ask a question by giving reasons, he did not reply. When we reasoned out about contractual teachers in four-year graduation, the dean shouted at us saying that the VC is saying that the workload will increase,” added Habib.<br /><br /> “The VC told us that we should not make this interaction a zero hour,” she further added.<br />DUTA is on indefinite relay hunger strike for over a month now. The demands are to start recruitment process of ad hoc teachers among other academic changes.<br /><br /> The immediate demand is to have a formal dialogue with the teachers’ body. “We still have not heard from anywhere about the recruitment process starting anywhere in DU,” said another member.<br /><br />The members are of the opinion that they will ‘read the visit as a goodwill gesture from the VC if there is discussion and debate on their demands’.<br /><br />“First thing anybody who wants to resolve an issue will do is to go to the strike site and meet the people who are agitating and leading the strike. That shows how much the person is really interested in resolving a problem,” said another member.<br /><br />“When the entire dharna site has no electricity we have to light candles every evening.<br /><br /> Teachers have used their casual leave to participate in the strike and their salaries have been cut and then he is telling us through the media that he will start some research projects for the teachers,” said Habib. The VC also visited students and non-teaching staff union offices on the same day.<br /><br /></p>
<p>On the eve of Diwali, the vice chancellor paid a visit to the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) office. But the members present said few demands were raised during the interaction with not much promised on any.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“We did not know that the VC is coming. It was an informal gathering where DUTA and other association members were present. They asked him about four-year graduation and the workload on teachers, to which he said it will increase,” said DUTA member Abha Dev Habib.<br /><br />According to members, the VC was asked about recruitment to which he said the process has already started.<br /><br />“When we tried to counter question or ask a question by giving reasons, he did not reply. When we reasoned out about contractual teachers in four-year graduation, the dean shouted at us saying that the VC is saying that the workload will increase,” added Habib.<br /><br /> “The VC told us that we should not make this interaction a zero hour,” she further added.<br />DUTA is on indefinite relay hunger strike for over a month now. The demands are to start recruitment process of ad hoc teachers among other academic changes.<br /><br /> The immediate demand is to have a formal dialogue with the teachers’ body. “We still have not heard from anywhere about the recruitment process starting anywhere in DU,” said another member.<br /><br />The members are of the opinion that they will ‘read the visit as a goodwill gesture from the VC if there is discussion and debate on their demands’.<br /><br />“First thing anybody who wants to resolve an issue will do is to go to the strike site and meet the people who are agitating and leading the strike. That shows how much the person is really interested in resolving a problem,” said another member.<br /><br />“When the entire dharna site has no electricity we have to light candles every evening.<br /><br /> Teachers have used their casual leave to participate in the strike and their salaries have been cut and then he is telling us through the media that he will start some research projects for the teachers,” said Habib. The VC also visited students and non-teaching staff union offices on the same day.<br /><br /></p>
