The Unthinkable: A Student Leader, A Professor, and The Slap That Shook Delhi University

You know, sometimes things happen on a university campus that just make you stop and wonder. And in Delhi University, that moment arrived with quite the jolt recently. We're talking about an incident that saw the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Joint Secretary, Deepika Jha, suspended — not for some run-of-the-mill political squabble, mind you, but for the rather astonishing allegation of having slapped a college professor.

The whole dramatic scene, it seems, unfolded during an orientation event for newly admitted students at Swami Shraddhanand College. Reports from the ground suggest a tense atmosphere, where Dr. Manisha Sharma, a professor at the college, was allegedly ‘misbehaving’ with some students. Now, exactly what ‘misbehaving’ entails is still somewhat murky, but one thing is clear: Ms. Jha, stepping into what she perhaps saw as a protective role, reportedly intervened. And then, the slap.

The fallout, as you can well imagine, was immediate and rather stark. DUSU, the very body Ms. Jha represented, acted swiftly, suspending her from all her posts and duties. But that's not all; Delhi University itself, clearly not taking this lightly, has launched its own inquiry. It’s a move that underscores the gravity of the situation — an educator allegedly assaulted by a student leader? Unprecedented, really.

It’s worth remembering, too, that Ms. Jha isn't just any student leader. She's a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a prominent student organization, and had only recently been elected to her DUSU role. Her own party, the ABVP, has been quick to condemn the alleged act, suspending her from party positions and calling for a thorough investigation. You could say, for once, that both the student body leadership and the affiliated political wing are singing from the same hymn sheet: this kind of conduct just isn’t acceptable.

This isn't just about one incident, though. It’s about the delicate balance of power, respect, and discipline on a university campus. When a student leader, entrusted with representing their peers, is accused of such an act against a faculty member, it raises some very uncomfortable questions about authority, conduct, and the very culture we foster in our educational institutions. What precisely led to such an explosive moment? We, and indeed the university, await the full findings of the inquiry with bated breath. Because honestly, incidents like these leave a mark far beyond just a suspension letter.