Now, Trichy university gags teachers' union

TRICHY: The recent episode involving the suspension and immediate revocation of the order against Dr N Manimekalai, former director of women's studies at the Bharathidasan University (BU) took yet another twist on Monday. The university has gagged its teachers from speaking on this issue after they demanded that Manimekalai, who was shunted to the economics department be reinstated in the women's studies department.
Manimekalai was suspended by the syndicate of the Bharathidasan University on February 4, but the order was revoked on February 9 by the chancellor and Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah.
On February 14, the matter took another curious turn, when Manimekalai was shunted to the economics department (which is already headed by a professor), a decision that was seen as vindictive and
interpreted by Bharathidasan University Teachers' Association (BUTA) as being contrary to the letter and spirit of the governor's order.
The 220-member strong BUTA wearing black badges in protest demanded that Manimekalai should be reinstated to her original department, a stand that was reiterated by the Tamil Nadu Federation of Faculty Association (TANFUFA), as well. General secretary of BUTA, Nataraja Seenivasan, said that all the members, including 30 women wore black badges throughout the day and they would continue to do so until Friday evening when they would hold a 'gate meeting' if the issue was not resolved until then.
While Manimekalai told TOI that "there is no end to the amount of humiliation I go through," the previous vice-chancellor Dr M Ponnavaiko said that the decision to shunt her to the economics department, amounted to "violation of the chancellor's decision."
It may be recalled that the university registrar T Ramasamy had last week issued an undated press release saying, "The vice-chancellor of Bharathidasan University has revoked the order of suspension of Dr N Manimekalai on February 13, 2012. She is permitted to join as professor and director in the department of women's studies pending detailed examination of the issue at the governor's secretariat and further orders of His Excellency, the chancellor, without prejudice to the disciplinary proceedings contemplated against Dr N Manimekalai."
On Monday, Ramasamy came out with yet another circular (a copy of which is in TOI's possession) stating, "No university employee shall indulge in any criticism of the university administration in such manner as savours of defiance and insubordination or causes or is likely to cause embarrassment to the administration."
Asked about the immediate provocation for issuing such a gag order, Ramasamy said, "It is just to remind the professors about the general conduct rules, and I am just implementing the syndicate decisions." The convenor of TANFUFA, Dr Krishnaswamy said, "We condemn the university authorities to gag the BUTA that is only fighting for its democratic rights, and not criticising the university."