DU Teacher’s Association Writes to VC about Sexual Abuse Cases

Rising cases of sexual harassment in Delhi University have the teacher’s association (DUTA) worried. Recently, DUTA wrote to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi voicing their concern against cases of sexual harassment that DU colleges have reported in the recent while.

DUTA has requested Tyagi to deal with these matters with the “seriousness” they deserve. “In many cases, the accused is in the position of authority, such as head of department or a principal, and therefore, is in a position to influence or intimidate the complainant or witnesses,” the DUTA member said in the letter, DNA reported.

Women students and employees are facing continued harassment, intimidation, and hostility in their workplace, which has vitiated the working environment for the entire university community

The letter also highlights how several colleges have not held elections for the position of students' representative on the panel of their Internal Complaint Committees (IICs) still. “It violates specific guidelines that the University Grants Commission (UGC) have laid down in this regard,” the DUTA said.

“As a result, women students and employees are facing continued harassment, intimidation, and hostility in their workplace, which has vitiated the working environment for the entire university community,” it added.

ALSO READ: The underbelly of Delhi University: Ankita Anand on #PinjraTod, other skeletons

Earlier in January and February, two women students from Daulat Ram College and Bharti College respectively, have filed complaints of sexual abuse against their male teachers. After the complaints, students’ collective—Pinjra Tod did many protests and demonstrations against such offences in the university.

One more case got reported in March by a woman student and teacher who had both complained against the head of the university's chemistry department. On this issue, the association said that the authorities are not pursuing these cases “in a time-bound manner, leading to subversion of cause of justice and redressal.”

Lately, Delhi University and other such prestigious institutions have come under fire for students’ raising their voices against cases of sexual harassment particularly by their teachers. This action by the teachers themselves should empower students that even their professors are with them in this struggle.

Picture credit- Campus Diaries

More Stories by Poorvi Gupta