Mangalore University MCJ students demand removal of lecturer

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 20: The Students of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) have been organizing a protest against their lecturer M P Umeshandra for allegedly misbehaving toward them from Jan 18. 

They were supported by a number of other students from Mangalore University. A dharna was organized in front of the administrative block of Mangalore University on Jan 20, Wednesday. The students demanded justice for all wrongs done to them. They announced that they would support the MCJ students till justice is done. 












After the protest began, the vice chancellor in charge of the University conducted a meeting with the student leaders. He requested the students to hold their peace and wait for the issue to be discussed during a syndicate meeting, which is to be held on Jan 23, Saturday. 

K K Achar spoke to press people and said that the student leaders were requested to stop protesting till the syndicate members of the university meet to discuss the issue. He said that no action could be taken without the approval of the syndicate and that this information was conveyed to the student leaders. The students who were supporting the MCJ students vacated the place only after the vice chancellor and the student leaders announced the decisions taken during the meeting. 

However, the MCJ students said that they will continue their protest till the lecturer is removed from his position. One of the MCJ students said that the university had been ignoring the students’ dilemma from the past several months. She said that the vice chancellor’s statement about Prof Umeshchandra being on leave is confusing because some of the professor’s statements have been published in the newspapers. She wanted to know why the professor was not available at meetings when he made himself available to media persons. 

Kishor, an MA student, said that the issue has been blow out of proportions precisely because of the silence of the vice chancellor and the negligence of the university administration. If the vice chancellor had taken notice of the students’ complaints right at the beginning, the problem would have been solved in its early stages, he said. 

Santhosh, another student, said that things might get back to normal if the syndicate decides in favor of the students. If not, the protest will continue till the lecturer is removed from his post.