Kochi: The collegiate education deputy director Laila Das who probed the burning of the chair of the principal of Maharaja’s College in January this year has recommended that the principal, Prof N. L. Beena, be shunted out. The probe report that has come down heavily on her, however, has also come down on the act of the SFI activists to burn her chair. The report recommends action against the culprits.
It says the attitude and approach of the principal led to the incident and that she never took steps to defuse tension on the campus. The chair burning incident was the result of the unrest that lasted for months after the closing down of the MCRV hostel for two months. It caused much hardship to Dalit students who did not have means to get food and facility for lodging. It also says the language used by the principal to girl students and the arrest of students by the police further worsened the situation.
The report also noted that police is proceeding against the culprits involved in the chair burning incident. The report also said that there is no evidence to prove that teachers or their unions have any role in the burning. It also recommended the transfer of teachers Julia David and Sumi Joyi Oliyapuram citing some other incidents on the campus.
