KOZHIKODE: The Calicut University vice-chancellor Dr Mohammed Basheer has directed two teachers to go on compulsory leave with effect from Monday pending enquiry, based on complaints of alleged caste discrimination submitted by a group of research students,. The two teachers are Malayalam department head Dr L. Thomaskutty and Botany department Assistant Professor Dr M. Shamina.
VC has also directed the subcommittee constituted by the CU Syndica-te to submit a report over the issue within seven days. The two teachers should keep off the campus till the enquiry by the committee completed and report submitted.
It was a research student P Sindhu of Malay-alam department who had submitted a compl-aint against Dr Thom-askutty, alleging that he had deliberately delayed her research paper and also behaves with discrimination. Sindhu had also uploaded a FB post over the issue, triggering off a hot debate in social networking sties. Four students of Botany department had submitted complaint against Dr Shamina, raising allegations of caste discrimination and also derogatory comments against them in public showing them in a poor light. The research students also alleged that the teacher deliberately created impediments for them causing delay in completion of the research.
When protests gathered momentummany student bodies including SFI and All Kerala Research Scholars’ Association had organised agitations in the campus including conducting a siege to the vice chancellor’s office, demanding an enquiry keeping the teachers out from the campus.
