The students of National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) — formerly National Institute for Visually Handicapped — who haven’t been attending classes over their demand for the termination of the institute’s director, Anuradha Dalmiya, have agreed to return to classes from Monday.
However, the students have sought the administration’s assurance that Dalmiya, who was transferred from the post following protest from the students, would not be reinstated.
On Saturday, the newly-appointed NIEPVD director, KVS Rao, after a meeting with the students, declared closure of the institute for 15 days and asked their parents to give an undertaking that the students won’t break discipline again by going on protest.
Earlier, the students refused to attend classes demanding termination of Dalmiya, following which Dalmiya was transferred to the National Institute of Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), Secunderabad, and Rao was asked to take the charge as new director.
However, demanding Dalmiya’s termination, the students threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Monday, following which Rao called a meeting with them on Saturday.
“We are ready to attend the classes by Monday and focus on studies, but the administration should assure us in writing that Dalmiya won’t be reinstated here again,” Dinesh, one of the students, told HT over phone. “The director declared closure of the school citing the repair works in hostel and premises. But we asked him to do that while we are in school during the day time, which he agreed. On Monday, we would talk to director Rao on our other demands again,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“We are ready to attend the classes by Monday and focus on studies, but the administration should assure us in writing that Dalmiya won’t be reinstated here again,” Dinesh, one of the students, told HT over phone. “The director declared closure of the school citing the repair works in hostel and premises. But we asked him to do that while we are in school during the day time, which he agreed. On Monday, we would talk to director Rao on our other demands again,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}On Sunday, the officials of Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (USCPCR) met union minister of social justice Thawar Chand Gehlot in Delhi on the issue.
Talking to HT over phone about the meeting, USCPCR chairperson Usha Negi said, “The meeting was held for about 15-20 minutes, during which we informed him about our observation of the whole issue, along with some recommendations for improvement in the institute. On Monday, we would also meet the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.”