Romila Thapar, Deepak Nayyar seeks Kalam's help in Vadodara issue

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) Eminent JNU professors Romila Thapar and Deepak Nayyar have urged President A P J Abdul Kalam to intervene in addressing the Vadodara issue and sought immediate legal action against people who attacked M S University fine arts students Chandramohan.

''We would request you to intervene in this matter, if necessary through the Governor, and insist upon an immediate legal reading of both actions, to examine whether they are admissible in terms of the statutes by which a university is governed. If not, we would request you to direct remedial action,'' they said in a letter to Dr Kalam.

They expressed concern over the series of incidents in the institution and said it was unacceptable to the functioning of a university.

''This letter comes to you as a reflection of our concern and that of many other persons of the academic community, over the recent incidents at the M S University in Vadodara,'' the letter said.

Demanding stern action against the guilty, Ms Thapar, an Emeritus Professor of History, and Mr Nayyar, Professor of Economics and former DU Vice-Chancellor, said no action has been taken against the known members who destroyed the work of a student and organised his arrest.

''What is equally appalling is that when the Dean attempted to get the student released from police custody, the Vice-Chancellor suspended the Dean,'' the letter said.

''There is no way in which either of these actions can be justified. On the contrary, such actions become precedents and are thereby conducive to the destruction of the university as an institute of learning and of academic freedom,'' it added.

UNI