Seven months after Maharaja Sayajirao University was rocked by an obscenity row, a Governor-appointed committee has recommended that the suspension of its acting Dean be revoked.
The fact-finding body said the ‘nude’ paintings of Gods were not meant for public display
VADODARA: Seven months after the Fine Arts faculty of the Maharaja Sayajirao University was rocked by an obscenity row, a Governor-appointed committee has recommended that the suspension of its acting Dean be revoked and indicted the university administration for “dereliction of duty.”
The three-member fact finding committee in its report submitted to Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma also said that the student Chandramohan, who was at the centre of the row, should also be taken back, a member of the committee said on condition of anonymity. The committee was of the view that the action taken by the university administration against the acting dean Shivaji Panikkar (pictured) and Chandramohan were not necessary as the paintings concerned of the students were part of internal examination and were not for public display, the member added.
The governor, who is a visiting chancellor to the M S University, had appointed the committee headed by renowned economist and professor YK Alagh after the row over some paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Jesus Christ. The row was triggered by right wing organisations like the VHP which had called it “obscene” besides “hurting the religious sentiments of the people”. Other two members of the committee were vice-chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapeeth Sudarshan Iyengar and renowned painter Hakubhai Shah.
The committee has also said in its report that the autonomy of the MS University should not be allowed to be undermined by such acts. It said the administration of MS University had failed in preventing hooligans from disrupting the examination. The committee members were of the view that the allegations of ‘obscenity’ could have been justified if the paintings were for public display.
The pro-vice chancellor of the university SM Joshi said that the university has so far not received any communication from the governor in this regard. Whenever it is received, it will be placed before the syndicate of the university for taking a decision, he added. Panikar welcomed the recommendations of the fact-finding committee and said he has also challenged his suspension order in the Gujarat Universities Services Tribunal. The university administration had suspended Panikar for defying its order to close down the exhibition in the faculty premises.
The obscenity row started when a group of people headed by VHP activist Niraj Jain barged into the Fine Arts faculty premises on May 9 last and indulged in hooliganism taking objections to the public display of the paintings of Chandramohan.
They also misbehaved with the staff and students of the faculty who protested against the entry of Jain and his supporters in the faculty premises and demanded action against them.
The governor later appointed the three-member committee after the agitation by the students of the faculty continued for 55 days.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}