3 weeks ago
Teachers, MLA trade misconduct charges in Ravenshaw hostel dispute
Some students who live in a dorm at Ravenshaw University were upset.
When they came back from having fun with their friends on Friendship Day, they found two of their rooms were locked.
They thought the person in charge of the dorm was unfair, so they stopped eating as a protest.
They wanted that person, the deputy warden, to quit.
A local leader named Prakash Sethi came to a meeting to help fix the problem, but he and the university teachers started arguing about who behaved badly.
The MLA said the chief warden was rude to him and interrupted him, and he complained in a letter.
Then, the wardens of all 13 dorms decided to quit their jobs.
The teachers said the MLA used bad words and asked him to say sorry.
The head of the university asked everyone to calm down and work together, saying the wardens should not resign.
The students are still protesting, and the problem has not been solved yet.
Students of Ravenshaw University's East Hostel began an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of deputy warden Rabiul Ansari over two rooms locked on August 1.
BJP Kataka Sadar MLA Prakash Sethi alleged chief warden Sudarshan Mishra behaved disrespectfully at a meeting, calling his conduct 'gross misconduct.'
Wardens of all 13 hostels on the campus resigned from their posts in response to the MLA's allegations.
The Ravenshaw University Teachers Association accused Sethi of using abusive language and demanded an apology, staging a protest march.
Vice-Chancellor Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra appealed for a resolution, saying the wardens' resignations were not accepted and students' problems would be resolved soon.
- Who
- East Hostel students, deputy warden Rabiul Ansari, chief warden Sudarshan Mishra, MLA Prakash Sethi, Vice-Chancellor Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra, and teachers of the Ravenshaw University Teachers Association (RUTA)
- What
- A dispute over two locked hostel rooms escalated into a political row, with the MLA and teachers trading misconduct allegations and all 13 hostel wardens resigning
- Where
- Ravenshaw University's East Hostel in Kataka, Odisha
- When
- The rooms were locked on the night of August 1, after Friendship Day celebrations; the protests and the political row unfolded in the days that followed
- Why
- Students demanded action against the deputy warden for locking their rooms; the MLA alleged disrespect by the chief warden, while teachers accused the MLA of abusive behaviour
Students, teachers and wardens
MLA Prakash Sethi and administration
Behaviour at the resolution meeting
Students, teachers and wardens
Wardens and RUTA teachers said the MLA behaved inappropriately and used abusive language against chief warden Sudarshan Mishra; all 13 hostel wardens resigned in protest and RUTA demanded an apology.
MLA Prakash Sethi and administration
MLA Sethi alleged chief warden Sudarshan Mishra showed disrespect by repeatedly interrupting him, calling the behaviour 'gross misconduct' and seeking action from Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy.
Locked hostel rooms and the hunger strike
Students, teachers and wardens
East Hostel students said two rooms were locked on the night of August 1 and accused deputy warden Rabiul Ansari of harassment, launching an indefinite hunger strike for his resignation.
MLA Prakash Sethi and administration
Vice-Chancellor Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra said the two rooms were locked only for a temporary period and appealed to both sides to resolve the dispute to protect the institution's reputation.
Key facts
- University
- Ravenshaw University, Kataka, Odisha
- Affected hostel
- East Hostel
- Incident date
- Night of August 1 (two rooms locked)
- Students' demand
- Resignation of deputy warden Rabiul Ansari
- Resignations
- Wardens of all 13 hostels (not accepted by the VC)
- MLA
- Prakash Sethi (BJP), Kataka Sadar
- Vice-Chancellor
- Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra
- Complaint letter
- Sent to Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy against chief warden
Quotes
Prakash Sethi
Kataka Sadar MLA and senate member
“"gross misconduct"”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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