Former Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, the interim Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) in Kolkata, has resorted to working from home due to alleged harassment and intimidation by members of the West Bengal Government Employees’ Federation.
The Federation is backed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which currently governs the state. This development is an offshoot of an escalating public disagreement between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor CV Ananda Bose over the authority to appoint Vice-Chancellors at state-run universities.
Mukherjee was appointed by Governor Bose on July 5, a move that has not been well-received by the TMC. The Governor’s decision is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court by the state government, which claims the appointment violates University Grants Commission norms.
In response to the controversy, the government has also introduced the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to shift the role of Chancellor from the Governor to the Chief Minister.
The bill is yet to receive the Governor’s approval. The interim VC reported severe misconduct by university employees, including harassment and threats, that has made it impossible for him to maintain his duties with “self-respect.”
In a statement to The Daily Guardian, Mukherjee expressed his difficulty in working amid security threats and said that he had stopped going to his office on campus as of Monday. He has also informed Governor Bose, who has granted him the discretion to act as he sees fit under the circumstances.
However, the allegations have been dismissed by the Employees’ Federation as “far from the truth” and an “over-reaction.” Sandip Ganguly, president of the RBU unit of the State Employees’ Federation, stated that they had approached the VC with a memorandum of demands but denied allegations of misbehaviour or intimidation.
The tense situation at RBU is symptomatic of a larger political struggle in West Bengal, which impacts not only the governance of educational institutions but also raises questions about the separation of powers and the role of the Governor in state affairs.
