DUTA to burn vice chancellor's effigy today

Delhi University Teachers’ Association on Wednesday will burn the university vice chancellor’s effigy, which will be followed by a procession.

DUTA is on a relay hunger strike since the last 21 days, demanding a dialogue with the VC over the academic changes made in the university.

But it has not received any response from the administration yet.

“We will stay put till the time the VC talks to us. We are the teachers of this university and have all the right to ask for a dialogue,” said a DUTA member.  
Reforms affect students

“The so-called reforms are directly affecting students, teachers and karamcharis. The stakeholders are being kept out of policy decision-making,” added the member.

The association had earlier sent an appeal to the new human resource development (HRD) minister M M Pallam Raju to intervene in the matter.

“Once the minister starts office, there will an attempt to meet him also. Right now we have not decided anything though,” said the member.

Students have been making rounds of the strike venue, showing their solidarity with the cause.

“The semester system is being badly implemented. Our future is at stake, we are not learning anything,” said Ritika, a Commerce student at Kirori Mal College.

“This is not fair. There is a fear of video recordings and students being harassed by
college authorities for joining any kind of protest, but we have no other option,” added Ritika.

Rumours

Teachers also said the administration is trying to spread rumours that Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and Delhi University Colleges Karamchari Union (DUKCU) are not lending support to the agitation.

“This is shameful. This is for the first time that DUSU, DUCKU and DUTA have come together. We have letters from these unions citing their support,” said the DUTA member.