High drama before university Syndicate meeting starts

Protesting guest lecturers block Syndicate members from going to the meeting

There was high drama before the start of a Syndicate meeting of Karnatak University in Dharwad on Saturday as protesting guest lecturers blocked the entry of Syndicate members by sitting at the entrance.

Consequent to the protest of the guest lecturers, the Syndicate meeting was delayed by over two hours as the Syndicate members had to remain outside.

The guest lecturers of Karnatak University and constituent colleges are on an indefinite agitation and their protest entered the ninth day on Saturday. Their demands include hike in pay and change in nomenclature. They are upset that the vice-chancellor who promised to take the requisite action earlier has failed to fulfil their demands.

As per the warning they had issued on Friday, the protesting guest lecturers sat at the entrance of the building and made it clear that they will not allow the Syndicate members to participate in the meeting, unless their issue is raised in the meeting. Raising slogans against the vice-chancellor, the protestors also opposed the entry of the police on the university campus.

When Registrar Yashwanth Ksheersagar tried to convince the guest lecturers to allow the Syndicate members to take part in the meeting, they made it clear that they will allow them only on the condition that their issue is included in the agenda.

Subsequently, after the demands of the teachers were included in the proceedings of the Syndicate meeting and given to them in writing, the protestors allowed the Syndicate members to proceed to the meeting by giving them roses.

Syndicate members K.D. Haveripet, Sudhindra Deshpande, Jayaprakash Badami, Sandeep Boodihal, Prakash Raikar, Shanthanagouda Jakkanagoudar and Sneha Joshi announced before the guest lecturers that their demands were rightful and they will not participate in any of the Syndicate meetings unless the vice-chancellor took a clear decision on the issue.