Undermines rule of law: 300 academics urge SAARC to intervene in dismissal of SAU prof

More than 300 academics from universities across the world have written to SAARC secretary-general Golam Sarwar, seeking intervention in what they described as the "unjust and punitive dismissal" of an economics professor at SAU (South Asian University) in New Delhi.

The faculty member, associate professor of Economics Snehashish Bhattacharya, was among four teachers suspended in June 2023 for allegedly inciting students during protests on campus in 2022. His services were formally terminated on 11 September this year with retrospective effect from June 2023.

In the letter, the signatories expressed concern over the decision. "Students peacefully protested for representation in the university bodies for gender sensitisation and against sexual harassment, and a rollback of reduction in their stipends. The administration responded with student expulsions, suspensions and police action," the academicians wrote.

They said Bhattacharya and other faculty members had urged dialogue and constructive engagement, but the university instead suspended them and cut their salaries to 25 per cent.

"Standing by professional principles, Bhattacharya has consistently denied all charges, and refused to submit letters of regret demanded by the university," the letter stated.

The signatories called on SAARC to request SAU to rescind Bhattacharya's termination, saying academic freedom and the institution’s founding values must be upheld. "This misrepresents his good-faith commitment to teaching and student welfare," they said.

The letter also questioned SAU's reported position that it falls outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, arguing that such a stance "undermines the rule of law and accountability".

"This is not merely a case of one individual but a test of whether the South Asian University can still stand by the principles of openness, dialogue and mutual respect on which it was founded," the academics said.

The signatories include Ha-Joon Chang (SOAS University of London), Jayati Ghosh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Amit Bhaduri and Prabhat Patnaik (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Partha Chatterjee (Columbia University), Rathin Roy, former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Guy Standing (SOAS University of London).

With PTI inputs