DTF DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS’ FRONT

Delhi University
(No.1, Teachers’ Hostel, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, Delhi -7)

DTF Press Release

Sanjaya Kumar 21 March 2008
Bohidar
President The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) expresses its concern over the news item that appeared in
Tel:9968286135 the print media today that the Supreme Council of St. Stephen’s College has revoked all decisions
take during the period when Dr. Valson Thampu was the OSD of the College.
Amar Deo Sharma
Vice-President While the DTF firmly opposed the show cause notice served by Dr. Thampu on two teachers of the
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History Department, it considers various steps initiated during his tenure as far-reaching
Sheo Dutt progressive initiatives redefining the character of St. Stephen’s College. The campaign against
Vice-President him is also inspired by opposition to (and in some cases hatred towards) many of those steps.
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Those opposed to reservations for the deprived, those seeking to reserve this institution of
Bhupinder Chaudhry academic excellence for the children of the political, social and economic elite through an non-
Vice-President
Tel: 9968313730 transparent admission process, those whose religious fundamentalism disallows recognition of
dalits among Christians, and the Hindutva brigade, that would not allow dalits who do not proclaim
Rajib Ray themselves hindus any benefit of reservations, found a common ground.
Secretary
Tel:9868169879 Those opposed to reservation for the deprived in the admission to the College have also used a
facile argument for scrapping the admission policy: that the number of students admitted under
Giriraj Bairwa various categories of reservation is inadequate. An honest response to such a situation should
Jt Secretary have sought effective implementation rather than an undoing of the very principle.
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Renu Bala The DTF urges the Governing Council of the College not to regress on its admission policy duly
Jt Secretary approved by the Governing Council. Instead it should ensure that the policy is made known to all
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aspirants well in advance and is effectively implemented. The DTF further urges that the process
Rajeev Kunwar of admission be made more transparent and that the admission committees be constituted through
Jt. Secretary
a transparent set of rules. Further, the DTF urges a review of the continuing policy of interviewing
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candidates for admission since it has been the cause of much suspicion about backdoor entry for
the children of the powerful.
Rudrashish
Chakravorty
Treasurer The DTF also seeks to draw the attention of the College administration that the implementation of
Tel:9968253813 Ordinance XV D on Sexual Harassment in full should continue. Dr. Thampu had taken the initiative
to implement the Ordinance which the earlier Principal had refused to do, using the facile
argument that the Ordinance undermined the minority character. Such arguments in fact discredit
the minority policy and indirectly strengthen the tirades of those who wish the religious minorities
to be second-class citizens.

Moreover, the College should also accept the seniority principle, the rotational principle and
democratic decision making in assigning and carrying out administrative and academic
responsibilities and reject the lie that doing so undermines its minority character. Some positive
steps were taken in this regard during Dr. Thampu’s tenure and the College should be taking them
forward rather than revoking them.

(Sanjaya Kumar Bohidar) ( Rajib Ray)

President Secretary