New Delhi: Days, after three seminars featuring envoys of Lebanon, Iran, and Palestine were cancelled at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Professor Sima Baidya, said that the developments were the result of a “threat culture”. She was the programme coordinator for the events, who was relieved of her responsibility on October 30 amid the controversy.
Following the developments, Baidya filed two complaints with the JNU administration and the Dean of the School of International Studies (SIS) on November 1, pointing out that she was “pressured” by her Centre’s Chairperson Sameena Hameed to cancel the events. Speaking to Indian Express she alleged that it was not the university, but a certain “lobby which is acting against the country’s foreign policy”, which cancelled the seminars.
‘Job of seminar coordinator independent for decades’
Pointing out that the job of a seminar coordinator had been independent for decades, Baidya stressed that she had followed the complete procedure, which is to schedule seminars and book the venue on time. She added that seminars were booked in advance on October 9.
She further alleged that professors like her and students were being bullied at the university’s Centre for West Asian Studies for over two years. Her remarks came after a seminar was conducted on the topic ‘How the US Presidential Election May Influence Events in West Asia’, under the new coordinator.
Professor Baidya files complaint against Centre’s chairperson
Earlier, she had formally complained to the Dean, and other senior authorities of the university against Dr. Hameed accusing her of acting contrary to India’s foreign policy goals as both India and Iran share cordial relations and the leaders of both sides met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit recently in Kazan. Baidya further said that she formally requested security from the university authorities, after the recent controversy.
