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Published on Tue, May 15, 2007 at 16:16, Updated on Fri, Jun 15, 2007 at 10:13 in Nation section
Tags: Fine Arts University, Vadodra , New Delhi
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New Delhi: The controversy over the art works of a final year postgraduate student of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara took a new turn with Vice-Chancellor Manoj Soni placing the dean of the fine arts faculty Shivaji Panikkar under suspension.
Centre may ask the UGC to reinstate suspended dean of fine arts at Vadodara's MS University, but will it set off a centre-state conflict?
The Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh has also decided to step in to sort out matters.
On Tuesday, the UGC held a meeting to discuss the suspension of Prof Shivaji Panikkar, dean of the fine arts faculty.
In a letter addressed to the UGC, students and teachers have questioned the manner in which the matter was dealt with.
They have also said the University administration made no effort to protect its students when they were attacked and no complaint was filed with the police.
The ministry as well as the UGC is keen on reinstating Panikkar.
The circumstances and manner in which Panikkar was suspended and barred from entering the campus, for his stand in supporting the students, has come under severe criticism from the artists across the country.
The suspension order was issued on Friday night for his not following the Vice-Chancellor's directive to stop the display of Chandra Mohan Srimantula's art works after a local BJP leader Niraj Jain, and VHP activists virtually raided the fine arts faculty, disrupted its work, and also lodged a police complaint against the "offending student."
Chandra Mohan remained in police custody for the last three days. The fine arts faculty, which stood by the student, decried the ‘moral policing’ by the BJP activists, pointing out that his works were not meant for public display and were for internal assessment.
Soni, who was appointed by the Narendra Modi Government, and Pro Vice-Chancellor S M Joshi refused to stand by the faculty. So the teachers and students, in retaliation, organised an exhibition of art works of famous artists on Indian erotica.
University officials led by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, however, took away the art works and sealed the exhibition hall, after a band of BJP councilors and VHP leaders descended on the faculty to "condemn" the art works, which, they claimed, hurt the religious sentiments of people.
(With agency inputs)
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