Demand for Expelling Ravenshaw VC And appointing an Educationalist instead of I.A.S. as VC
30 October 2010 ;
Introduction : This petition is about appointing a real qualified educationalist as VC of Revenshaw University, who understands the definition of “Quality Education” and University, glories of Odisha and know how to keep politics out of the University Campus. This is also about Rule of Law that must prevail in Educational Institutes.
To
The Hon’ble Governor , Odisha
Revered Sir,
We, the Ravenshavians, humbly draw your kind attention to save East Hostel and thereby by save the glorious literary and cultural heritage of Ravenshaw and Odisha from the hands of the devastating University authorities.
- It is a well-known fact that the historic West Hostel and East Hostel of Ravenshaw have created and shaped scores of dignitaries and illustrious personalities which brought pride and recognition to Ravenshaw and Odisha worldwide.
- The hostel magazines of West Hostel and East Hostel, ‘Urmi’ and ‘Jagaran’ respectively have been playing a seminal role in creating and shaping many poets, writers and scholars of twentieth century Odisha since the early 1920s. Eminent poets like Mayadhar Mansingh (first editor of Urmi) and many celebrated litterateurs of Odisha had been editors of these historic hostel magazines once upon a time during their stay in the hostels as boarders.
- The Glorious heritage of West Hostel has already been buried (in 2008). It may be learnt that ‘Urmi’ is not being published since the last two years. Now West Hostel is housing the residential Ravenshaw Management Centre (RMC).
- Last year when again, there was a conspiracy to do the same with East Hostel, to house residential self-financing Hotel Management department, all Ravenshavians stand united and opposed the authority and took the issue into the govt’s table.
- Finally after a discussion was made from all aspects and from all angles (including the issues of converting East Hostel into girls’ hostel to housing residential self-financing departments) in the Office Chamber of Hon’ able Minister, Higher education on 23.7.2009 in the presence of the Hon’ able higher education minister, VC, and students’ representatives of RU, the authority was given written order to complete the entire renovation work of East Hostel Of the University within-a-year and allow resurrection of it for general students. As per the govt’s order students staying in this hostel were shifted to another hostel.
- In spite of the govt’s order till now Hostel is not being permitted to stay. Sir we are facing severe problems in carrying our study smoothly as from last year we have been staying in another hostel with temporary adjustments.
- This year 60 new applicants also have been given admission into East Hostel. But now it seems everything is going to be shattered by the evil intension of our V.C. who thinks himself above the Govt.’s order. He again wants to convert East Hostel into some self-financing department and trying to obtain the same in the name of girls. He is spreading information in the air that he wants to convert into girls’ hostel due to the increase in the number of girl students. He intentionally directed superintendents of girls’ hostels to provoke the boarders to appeal to convert East Hostel into girls’ Hostel. While the boarders of the girls’ hostels are not in for of it, they are being threatened to do so.
- In the other hand, (if the authority really thinks for girls) there is no rationale for housing girls in East Hostel when there is neither dearth of land nor funds for setting up a new hostel building for girls. We are not opposed to increasing hostel for girl students , but converting boys’ hostels into girls’ hostel is not the solution to avoid rush on the existing ladies hostels as boys also grapple with inadequate hostel space.
- Sir, we the students of Ravenshaw University are in humble hunger strike w.e.f 18th August 2010. It will continue till the declaration of opening East Hostel for students and the announcement of roll back on the decision of VC to convert it into girls’ hostel.
- Sir, Ravenshaw University, Odisha, needs freedom from the hands of our current VC, who continuously disgracing Govt. Orders and who has been continuously ruining our educational environment for his personal interest/ benefit since his joining.
Yours truly,
Students of Ravenshaw University
