West Bengal :Visva-Bharati teachers seek pay hike, V-C felt ill.

Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Rajat Kanta Ray suddenly felt unwell on Monday after university teachers entered his room to submit a memorandum. The teachers alleged that he was pretending to be ill to avoid speaking to them. 

University sources said that the Adhyapak Sabha, the teachers' association of the university, decided to submit a memorandum to the V-C, demanding implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. 

"We went there after taking prior appointment," said Kishore Bhattacharya, president of Adhyapak Sabha. "Just before we had entered his chamber, he held a meeting with others, but as soon as we entered, he pretended to be ill and summoned two doctors from the university hospital. He refused to talk to us, saying he did not consider us worth talking to. We are shocked at his behaviour." The angry teachers then started shouting slogans in front of the V-C's office. 

After the V-C fell unwell, university doctors and an ambulance were summoned. 

Bhattacharya said that the Adhyapak Sabha would boycott the V-C "socially". "We will not talk to him hereafter, nor take classes in the university on Tuesday. No teacher will take part in any university programme, including the forthcoming Basanta Utsab," he said. 

A highly placed official of the V-C's office, however, said that the teachers had broken into Ray's chamber without waiting for his permission. "The secretary of Adhyapak Sabha officially informed me that they would not take any classes in any department on Tuesday," said Visva-Bharati PRO Amitabha Chowdhury. 

The V-C left the office after the incident. 

Source : Times of India.