A Stain on the Ivory Tower: Why is Delhi University Failing Its Own?

It was just another Wednesday, you could say, at the Campus Law Centre, part of the sprawling, often tumultuous, landscape of Delhi University. But June 19th, 2024, wasn't just another day for Dr. Seema Das. No, for this professor, it spiraled into something far more unsettling: an alleged physical assault, right there, in the very heart of an institution meant for learning, for dialogue. And honestly, the details are stark, painting a rather grim picture of campus decorum.

Imagine this scene: a grievance redressal committee meeting underway, and just outside, a growing commotion. Students, their voices rising, were protesting—what else?—the ever-present attendance and eligibility criteria issues. Dr. Das, a law professor, perhaps trying to document the burgeoning ruckus, or simply observing, lifted her phone. That's when, according to reports and her own account to the Delhi Police, a group of students allegedly descended. They didn't just hurl verbal abuse; they are said to have snatched her phone, pushing and physically assaulting her. Names like Akash, Harshit, Anshika, and Arjita, among others, have surfaced in connection with the incident. The sheer audacity, the brazenness of it all, it leaves one rather speechless, doesn't it?

Yet, as the immediate shock subsides, it's not merely the students' alleged actions that have ignited a firestorm across the university. It’s the unsettling silence, the perceived inertia from the university's own administration, that has truly infuriated the teaching fraternity. The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), alongside a powerful chorus of other teacher organizations, has come out swinging. They're not just protesting; they’re vehemently accusing the powers-that-be of a frankly astonishing dereliction of duty. They argue the administration isn't just slow-walking justice; they're actively shielding the culprits, some of whom, it's been pointed out, are quite pointedly connected to the NSUI student wing. A convenient blindness, perhaps?

The administration’s response, for what it’s worth, has been to form a committee. But this, teachers lament, feels less like a genuine step towards resolution and more like a bureaucratic stalling tactic. Where is the swift, decisive action? The Vice-Chancellor, it’s been alleged, has remained conspicuously unresponsive to the repeated pleas for intervention. This delay, this apparent reluctance to act, only fuels suspicions that certain individuals are indeed being protected, making a mockery of the safety and respect due to educators.

And, you know, this isn't an isolated incident. The CLC has, in truth, seen its share of unrest recently. There was the harrowing incident where an officiating principal was effectively held hostage. There was also the tragic suicide of a student, Anjali, due to attendance issues—a grim event that some teachers suggest has only emboldened certain students, creating an atmosphere where disciplinary lines blur and aggression sometimes goes unchecked. It seems the foundations of mutual respect are, sadly, eroding.

What the teachers want, what they're desperately fighting for, is clear and unequivocal: the immediate suspension and debarment of the accused students. They demand stringent action against anyone, absolutely anyone, who supported or enabled this unacceptable attack. Ultimately, it’s about restoring a safe, dignified working environment for all teachers at Delhi University. Because if a professor can be assaulted on campus with seeming impunity, what does that really say about the sanctity of our educational institutions, about the very values we claim to uphold?