Jamia harassment row: Teachers’ body slams varsity’s action against Prof

Agra, 11 Feb 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: Agra on Sunday remembered Nazeer Akbarabadi, the people’s poet whose birthday falls on Basant Panchmi, the festival of spring.

As bright sunshine dazzled the Taj Mahal, bringing joy and cheer to thousands of tourists, a little distance away spring smiled on the modest tomb of Mian Nazeer Akbarabadi.

NEW DELHI, 10 Feb 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: Jamia Teachers’ Association (JTA) on Sunday slams the varsity for sending Head of the Department of Applied Arts, Hafeez Ahmad on leave over sexual harassment charges.

JTA called it a “one-sided decision” that is purely taken in a haste under the pressure of few students who are taking support from some external elements that are fueling the issue, as per reports published in OkhlaTimes.

“University has taken this decision without conducting any enquiry and also without taking approval from any university body,” said a statement issued by the JTA.

“The incident of assault and groping published in media tells one side of the story. As a mere fact, Dr. Hafeez was trapped in his office till late evening by a group of students and when he was leaving for home some violent students abused and tried to attack him. From among the students, some tried to handle the situation to protect the said teacher from externally-instigated students. The students who were saving the teacher to avoid any ugly incident have been labelled as ‘goons of head’ by some irresponsible media groups. A minor arguments among the students have later been reported as assault and groping to gain the favor and edge,” said the JTA.

Secretary of JTA, Prof. Majid Jamil said that university should immediately withdraw their order against Hafeez Ahmad and demanded a committee should be immediately constituted for a fair and thorough investigation in the matter.

“The external groups fueling the issue for their vested interest of getting media attention and trying to bring bad name to the university must be strictly dealt by the administration. JTA also demands from the administration to provide sufficient teaching staff to department of Applied Arts to meet the academic need of the students,” it said.

People offered floral tributes to the poet who offered a myriad repertoire of common man’s ordeals and preoccupations in the ‘mohallas’ of Agra during the fading glory of the Mughal era.

The local poet sang of love, of natural beauty and the secular traditions of the Taj city.

Hailed as the people’s poet, unlike Meer and Mirza Ghalib who wrote for the classy elite, Nazeer Akbarabadi wrote about ordinary events and characters that touched the hearts of both Muslims and Hindus.

He mocked at the follies and foibles of royalty with disdain but sang lyrically about Krishna Kanhaiyya and on subjects like Muflisi (poverty) and Roti.IANS