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Visva-Bharati prof refused leave for UK fellowship gets relief from Calcutta HC
In November, 2022, Visva-Bharati did not grant Barik leave for the fellowship and moved the division bench challenging the single bench’s February 22 order that went in her favour
Kolkata: A Calcutta high court division bench has upheld a single bench order passed in February this year allowing Shaona Barik, an assistant professor who teaches Victorian English at Visva-Bharati, West Bengal’s only Central university, to travel to England where the Leeds University awarded her the Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting Fellowship for 2022 at its history department.
In November last year, Visva-Bharati did not grant Barik leave for the fellowship and subsequently moved the division bench challenging the single bench’s February 22 order that went in Barik’s favour, allowing her to stay in England from March 5 to May 9.
The division bench of justice Prasenjit Biswas and justice Soumen Sen passed the order on September 18, rejecting the university’s appeal against the February 22 order of justice Kausik Chanda.
The division bench order, a copy of which was seen by HT, said: “We do not find any reason to interfere with the order passed by the learned single Judge. The appeal and the connected applications are dismissed.”
On November 2, 2022, Visva-Bharati sent a letter to Barik saying her application for leave could not be considered.
The university told the single bench during hearing on Barik’s petition that Visva-Bharati’s English department had only ten professors against a sanctioned strength of 17 and no other teacher was qualified to teach Victorian English. Barik was not granted leave in the interest of students, the court was told.
Justice Chanda’s order, a copy of which was seen by HT, said: “It is always expected that the teaching staff of the university should take advantage of such fellowship to get wider exposure, which in turn, will help them contribute to their institution more effectively…. I do not see any justification not to allow the petitioner to participate in the fellowship. Accordingly, the communication dated November 2, 2022, is set aside. The university will grant the necessary leave to the petitioner within 72 hours from date.”
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The professor alleged on Tuesday that she is being victimised because she belongs to the Dalit community.
“Many professors from Visva-Bharati were awarded this fellowship in the past. I perceive this as caste discrimination against me. The fellowship adds to the empowerment of the Dalit community to which I belong. Such fellowships are necessary for promotions as well. I will write to Visva-Bharati again citing the division bench order because my leave has not been sanctioned till now,” Barik said.
“The university did not grant me leave although the single bench ordered that it should be done in 72 hours. I left India on March 5 citing extra-ordinary leave. I completed the fellowship. It is a three-month-one-week programme but I had to return after two and a half months because of a medical emergency and subsequently underwent an operation. I resumed work on May 26 but they did not allow me to officially join duty till July 1. The university did not pay me the salary for June,” Barik added.
“A girl student is working on her M.Phil thesis under my supervision. After I returned from England, the university did not allow me to sign her thesis papers. Working as a supervisor also adds to career growth,” Barik said.
Bidyut Chakrabarty, the vice chancellor, could not be reached for a comment.
Mahua Banerjee, the university’s spokesperson, said: “The decision to not sanction Barik’s leave was taken by higher authorities. I cannot comment on that. I don’t know if the university will move a higher court challenging the division bench order.”
The Prime Minister is the chancellor of Visva-Bharati which was set up by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921.
The campus has witnessed a number of agitations following disciplinary action against teachers and students who subsequently moved the Calcutta high court. Most of the court orders went in their favour.
A section of prominent academicians has demanded removal of vice-chancellor Chakraborty for insulting Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen during the ongoing row over the university’s claim on part of the leased land covered by Sen’s ancestral home on the campus. The case is being heard by the Birbhum district court.
