Professor Kaushik Bhattacharya, a member of the Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) and professor of the Philosophy department of Visva-Bharati University (VBU) has filed two complaints with the Shantiniketan Police Station, raising serious allegations against the institution's current Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Bidyut Chakrabarty and other administrative members of the institution. The complaints, dated August 14 and August 16, respectively, outline claims of sexual exploitation within the university's Sangit Bhavana department and malicious attempts to outrage religious feelings, promoting enmity between religious groups.
“The VC has over and over again proved himself as inefficient in carrying out his duties and these incidents further stand as testaments to that,” says Prof Kaushik Bhattacharya.
In the first complaint dated August 14, Prof Bhattacharya brings to light allegations of sexual exploitation within the Sangit Bhavana department of VBU. The complaint refers to a post by an anonymous female student on social media, accusing certain teachers of sexually exploiting her and coercing her into sex exploitation. The post gained traction in various media outlets, but the university administration declared it anonymous and false. “Prof Bidyut Chakrabarty, PRO Mahua Banerjee, Principal Sangit Bhavana, Budhadeb Das and others started a Dharna with "hunger strike" in Sangit Bhavana against the news circulated in different media in this regard violating the Calcutta HC order…with a malafide intention to suppressing the voice of the victim seeking justice through Social media,” writes Prof Bhattacharya in his complaint letter.
In the second complaint, filed on August 16, Prof Bhattacharya alleged that the VC made derogatory comments involving Durga puja, a prominent Hindu religious tradition in Bengal, on August 7, 2023. The comments were allegedly made at the Upasana Griha, popularly known as the Mandir, in Santiniketan. Prof Bhattacharya states that the remarks were posted on social media and a video was circulated, leading to outrage within the Hindu community. The complaint accuses Prof Chakrabarty of intentionally posting the derogatory video before the upcoming Durga puja to hurt religious sentiments. “This video was from March, but was re-uploaded again on August 7, as if intentionally to hurt sentiments and outrage religious sentiments,” alleges Prof Bhattacharya.
Prof Bhattacharya, along with other professors and students of VBU, have many a time been at the receiving end of VC’s arbitrary punitive actions, often allegedly for ideological differences. Ever since VC Chakraborty has taken his position in 2018, the university has been marred by legal cases, with the university incurring a loss in most cases. “Incidents of sexual harassment are serious issues and they have been increasing in number in the academic circle. But instead of taking a stand for the student, the university has done the opposite. There are already so many such cases in VBU pending with the ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) and nothing is being done about it,” claims Prof Bhattacharya.
