DUSU president Shakti Singh blamed a section of teachers for the issue. (Representational image)The controversy surrounding changes in the syllabi of some undergraduate programmes in Delhi University shows no sign of settling down, with the ABVP-led students’ union protesting outside various departments Tuesday.
While ABVP claimed the protest was peaceful, heads of departments of History and English said it was “scary”. “They were banging on doors and windows. There were so many women staff members who got petrified. No demands were handed in,” said Sunil Kumar, HoD of the History department.
Raj Kumar, HoD of the English department, said the ABVP submitted a memorandum but did not talk to him. “They just submitted their demands, I don’t think they were there for a dialogue… DUSU elections are also around the corner, so they have to show that they are doing something,” he said.
DUSU president Shakti Singh blamed a section of teachers for the issue. “It is very unfortunate that while classes have started, the syllabus has not yet been prepared.”
Meanwhile, N Sachin, convenor of the cluster committee from the English department, who was part of formulating the syllabus, has now claimed that one of the short stories — ‘Maniben alias Bibijaan’ — which was being objected to by a section of teachers, was never part of the revised syllabus. Kumar and AC member Saikat Ghosh confirmed the same.
However, Rasal Singh, NDTF member who raised the objection, said: “If the story was not there, why didn’t the English HoD or Saikat Ghosh say so in the AC meeting?”
