People's Democracy

  DUTA Protests UGC Notice

A joint dharna was organised at the UGC by Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) and Delhi University Karmchari Union (DUKU) protesting against the UGC’s letter sent to all the DU colleges stating ‘NO WORK, NO PAY’ for the one day strike called by the DUTA and DUKU in solidarity of the trade unions fighting against the police brutality on workers in Gurgaon, Haryana. The infamous police brutality in collaboration with MNC and Haryana government had sparked off a wave of protests and anger in various parts of the country. A one-day strike was also called in Delhi University by the teacher-karmchari unions.

The letter of ‘No work, No pay’ has interestingly arrived as soon as the newly elected Left-led DUTA assumed office. Reacting against the dictate of UGC, a large number of teachers and karmcharis participated in the dharna at UGC. Amidst anti-UGC and anti- government slogans, the dharna lasted for four hours, showing the determination of people to safeguard the rights of workers — including the right to go on strike in solidarity of other workers.

The dharna was addressed by several teacher-karmchari leaders of the university. Speaking at the dharna, DUTA president Amar Dev Sharma reminded the particiants of the past struggles of DUTA and attacked the UGC’s anti-democratic attitude which, in his opinion, reflected the oppressive schemes of the central government. The dharna was addressed also, among others, addressed by former DUTA presidents Aditya Narayan, Vijender Sharma and Shaswati Majumdar, EC members Rekha Dayal and Barkatulla Khan, and DUKU president Ram Singh Rana.