THENHIPALAM: When M Abdul Salam took over as the vicechancellor of Calicut University on August 12, 2011, a 31-day hunger strike welcomed him. His efforts to bring in discipline paid off when the High Court on February 10, 2012 banned protest marches and agitations within 200 metres of university buildings. Afterwards, instead of taking the stakeholders into confidence, the vice-chancellor embarked on a “one-man show” in the university where political partisanship had ruled the roost.
In a “despotic” way, he tried to suppress union activities, ensure cent percent attendance, restrict the free-roaming of employees and to prevent strikes on the campus. And the upshot has been, however, 128 agitations on the campus, despite the High Court order banning them.
In spite of not having much of a political background, he was appointed to a post that holds sway over separate cooperative societies, stores, canteens and pre-schools, thanks to the IUML’s strong backing. This was a bit odd.
“There had been umpteen numbers of political protests on the campus, but the atmosphere was live, not hostile as it is now. Once the V-C tried to root out politics from the campus, what actually happened was just the opposite,” said a member of the Association of Calicut University Teachers Union on condition of anonymity.
After he enjoyed a brief honeymoon on the campus, the differences Salam had with the highly politicised Syndicate, union-affiliated office staff, academics and students became very evident.
The unions - the Calicut University Employees Union of the Left, Calicut University Staff Organisation of the Congress and Solidarity of the IUML - which had always fought one another are now on the same front, with the vice-chancellor as their common enemy.
Employees complain that no friendly talks were ever held between them and the vice-chancellor, and that he always behaved like an autocrat.
However, the vice-chancellor said: “The university has become cent percent student-friendly. The employees are here for the service of students. Examinations should be conducted on time. The timely publishing of results and distribution of degree certificates are a priority. The students can directly communicate with the vice-chancellor through email and in person. Then how can they complain that the vice-chancellor is not accessible?”
Biometric punching strikes a major blow
The introduction of biometric punching machines to ensure cent percent staff attendance was a major blow to the highly-politicised administrative section, whose staff had been finding more time for union activities than the office work.
Despite their political differences, all staffers united against the Vice Chancellor on this front. By that time, he had lost the backing of the Syndicate members coming from a party that nominated him to the post.
Controversies over granting 43 acres of prime land to three trusts run by either IUML leaders or their relatives for various projects and allotting land to the NCC had already landed him in troubled waters.
And the university’s move to build a `40-crore “Central Academic, Science, Library and Administrative Block (CASLAB)”, despite the funds crunch, sparked off another controversy with the vice-chancellor awarding the architectural consultancy for the project without inviting expression of interest, ignoring the opposition of a section of the Syndicate.
The series of appointments in which his private secretary played a major role resulted in the vice-chancellor’s near-total isolation at Syndicate meetings.
But at the same time, he ensured the strong support of the IUML’s upper strata, including that of two ministers.
The differences even led to verbal as well as physical fights with vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor on the one side and Syndicate members on the other side.
“We have time only to reply to the letters from the Chancellor’s office on each and every complaint made by the Syndicate members, staff and students,” said pro vice-chancellor K Raveendranath.
And on August 13, there emerged a student group called “We with VC”, with the support of 687 students from various colleges under the university.
“Irrespective of his political inclination, our vice-chancellor is ready to help the faculty and students. While so many unnecessary issues were raked up by politicians, no one is ready to speak about the academic reforms he has brought in,” said Manoj, who is doing research at the Folklore Department.
(to be continued)