Today, December 25, the English Foreign Language University (EFLU) students community has issued a statement condemning the reinstatement of Prof T Samson as the Proctor. As per a student community representative, the official notice of the proctor's reinstatement was published on the university's website on December 21 and it is dated December 18.
The official order read, "In supersession of Orders of appointing Prof. T. Srivani as the Proctor of the University, vide Orders (2) under reference cited, dated 07.11.2023, Prof. T. Samson shall continue to serve as the Proctor of the University as per his Appointment Orders, (1) under reference cited, on administrative grounds with immediate effect."
Reacting to this, the student community's statement read, "We, the student community of EFL University, condemn the reinstation of Prof. T. Samson as the Proctor, who has not only failed to take timely action following the sexual assault of a student on campus, but has also been recorded publicly calling it a “small incident,” embodying the insensitivity, apathy, and incompetence of the university administration at large."
To recall, Proctor Prof Samson was given the charge of Dean, Planning and Member of the Executive Council (apex body of the university) after student protests demanding his resignation. The protest stemmed from the sexual assault of a female student on October 18, leading to discontent among students who criticised the administration's delayed response.
The latest statement by the student community alleges that the EFLU's press note dated 19/12/2023 "attempts to paint a false narrative of his innocence". Additionally, "it (varsity's statement) states that "his image was tarnished" for no fault of his”. This narrative conveniently deflects from the fact that his removal as Proctor was an outcome of peaceful student protests against the administration’s incompetence in ensuring a safe campus. This outcome was in partial fulfilment of the Student Body's demands in the said protest, which has been now overturned", the community's statement stressed.
First in media?
Further, the students allege that the reinstatement notice was first circulated in the media even before publishing it on the university website and they termed it 'alarming'. Terming the reinstatement of Proctor as "dismissive and insensitive towards the survivor", the community alleged that the administration has been targeting students who question the proctor's inaction and derelictions of duty.
"It is a major setback to the students’ demands of justice for the survivor and a valid Internal Complaints Committee, with elected student representatives," it added. The student community is of the opinion that this reappointment is a "mockery of the survivor and the student community, bringing us back to concerns about campus safety, the limitation of public spaces, freedom of speech, and the dwindling opportunities for dissent."
