Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Students form a Rangoli against Sexual Harassment @ Ramjas College

To mark the occassion of Diwali, students of Ramjas College who continue their struggle against the vice-principal Dr. B.N. Ray; formed a large "Rangoli" against Sexual Harassment. This was made at the main corridor of the college building as a mark of protest. Few pictures below:







Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Ramjas holds seminar on harassment - Indian Express


New Delhi, November 5 In the wake of the recent case of sexual harassment in Ramjas College, the students of the Literary Society in collaboration with Blank Noise project organised a seminar on “Gender and Sexual Harassment” on Monday . Last week, the College Complaints Committee investigating the sexual harassment charges against Ramjas College.

Vice-Principal B N Ray recommended that he should be suspended until the enquiry is over. A handful of students attended the seminar to hear Annie Zaidi, an active volunteer of the public participatory group Blank Noise Project, hold forth on the subject of street sexual harassment and eve teasing. While Zaidi maintained that 99 per cent of the time, it is women who are victimised, the seminar threw light on the not too often talked about male victims.

A young male student, who was cagey about disclosing any details, narrated incidences of sexual harassment that he faced while studying at a different college in Delhi. “My roommates would force me to listen to lewd jokes and insisted that I use filthy Hindi abuses. They'd slip into my bed and say I reminded them of their girlfriend,” he said. Zaidi said that while such incidents did not extend into sexual activity of any kind, it was clearly sexual harassment. “I would like to come out and tell people that this happened to me, but who will believe me? Nobody believes men when they say that they're being sexually harassed,” said the young student.

Zaidi advised women to be armed with a strategy to confront or deal with such harassment face-on, “Use cameras if you have any, or note down details of the vehicles which those who harass you are using, don't let anyone tell you that you are being victimised because of what you're wearing,” she said. Zaidi further elaborated on how those who indulged in eve-teasing tend to pick on girls who come across as more docile. “Women, who dress conservatively, are harassed more because eve-teasers think that they are less aggressive than their skirt-wearing counterparts, but that's not true,” she said.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Ramjas organises discussion on GENDER AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT



THE LITERARY SOCIETY, RAMJAS COLLEGE

in collaboration with

BLANK NOISE PROJECT

hosts a discussion on

GENDER AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT


Date & Time: 5th NOVEMBER; 1.30 pm
Venue: SEMINAR ROOM, RAMJAS COLLEGE


The Blank Noise Project is a community-public art project that seeks to confront street sexual harassment.


For more info, contact – Vaibhav Vats-9871011829

PresidentLiterary Society, Ramjas College

Ramjas professor faces suspension

The Times of India
1st Nov 2007
NEW DELHI: The college complaints committee (CCC) investigating the sexual harassment charges against Ramjas College vice-principal B N Ray has recommended that he should be suspended till the inquiry is over. The recommendations, made on Wednesday, have been forwarded to principal Rajendra Prasad.
The nine-member committee, at its first meeting on Monday, had found enough "prima facie" evidence to justify an inquiry against the political science teacher. At least four students, all of them male, have submitted written complaints to the CCC, alleging that Ray sexually abused them on a number of occasions and even threatened to ruin their careers if they refused to give in.
"Complying with Ordinance XVD of the University rules, we have set up a five-member sub-committee to look into the matter. Meanwhile, as per the rules, we have taken disciplinary action against Ray by suspending him for a period of time till the investigation is over," said CCC chairperson Madhumita Banerjee. The sub-committee comprises two teachers, two students and a lawyer, who is an external co-opted member.
Banerjee clarified that Ray has been suspended from all three posts he held in the college, that of "vice-principal, admissions convener and reader in political science". The sub-committee will meet on Friday and formally frame charges against Ray and he will be given five days to respond to the same.
"The sub-committee will submit this report to the main committee, which is required to submit the report to the university apex committee within a month from the day the complaint was received," added Banerjee.
It was last week that over a dozen students at Ramjas spoke out against Ray before a packed college auditorium, accusing him of misusing his position and seeking sexual favours from them.


Ramjas students to boycott classes till issue is settled



Staff Reporter

28th October, 2007


They take out march protesting continuance of Vice-Principal in his post


NEW DELHI: Carrying placards and banners and shouting slogans, students of Delhi University’s Ramjas College on Saturday took out a march on the North Campus protesting against the continuation of Vice-Principal B. N. Ray in his post and demanding action against him.

The students have been demanding Dr. Ray’s suspension for allegedly making sexual advances to male students of the college.

The Principal, Rajender Prasad, has referred the matter to the college Complaints Committee.

The students of the Political Science Department have decided that they would not attend classes till the time the Vice-Principal is suspended.

“As per the University’s ordinance, Dr. Ray should step down from his post before the inquiry against him starts on Monday. Though some teachers have expressed their support to our agitation and are cooperating with us, most other teachers are silent on the issue. The Principal has not even convened a Staff Council meeting till now,” rued a student. Some students have alleged that Dr. Ray has been in the dock on the charges of sexual harassment on previous occasions as well.

“About eight-nine years ago, there was a similar case against him after which he gave a written undertaking to the college that he would not indulge in such behaviour and he was retained. Though our Principal denies the existence of any such undertaking, we have concrete information on the same. This time we have concrete cases against him,” charged another student.

The students have refused any “help” from the Delhi University Students’ Union that had set up an anti-sexual harassment cell on Friday. “We do not want their interference. If as college students they want to express their solidarity, they are most welcome ,” said one student. The students will submit a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental on Monday and approach the UGC, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and National Human Rights Commission to press their demands.

A candlelight march has been planned outside the college on Monday evening.

CNN-IBN - Video- Delhi College VP faces sexual harassment charges

Ramjas VP accused of sexual harassment

NDTV
Rati

Thursday, October 25, 2007 (New Delhi)


Students of Ramjas College in Delhi University boycotted all classes on Thursday after a huge controversy erupted in the morning.
Students at the college protested throughout the day against the Vice Principal as a group of political science students have accused him of sexual harassment.

13 male students have complained that over the last few months, the Vice Principal summoned them individually to his house off campus and promised them good marks, if they gave in to his requests.

What those requests were is not mentioned in the official complaint.

''When few students discussed the issue, they realised that they all had a problem. That is when they decided to complain,'' said Neeraj, President, Ramjas Student Union.

Kumar Rahul, Lecturer, Political Science department said, ''The vice principal has been a political science teacher here for more than 20 years and now, staff members say that sexual harassment is not new to this campus.''

But surprisingly no action has been taken so far against the Vice Principal.

''The Supreme Court has ordered each college to have a cell that deals with sexual harassment. Ramjas is one of the few colleges in Delhi to have met that requirement.

''Its committee will spend the next few days inquiring into this complaint and then it will be up to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to decide what happens next,'' said Dr Rajendra Prasad, Principal of Ramjas College.

Delhi college V-P faces sexual charges


Delhi college V-P faces sexual charges
Sonia Sarkar
The Times of India
26 Oct 2007

NEW DELHI: Barely a month after Bidyut Chakraborty was asked to step down as the head of department of political science, Delhi University has found itself embroiled in yet another sexual harassment controversy.

This time, the vice-principal of Ramjas College, B N Ray, is in the eye of a storm. On Thursday, at least a dozen male students spoke up against him before a packed college auditorium at the general body meeting, alleging that Ray has been seeking sexual favours from them and was blackmailing students if they refused to give in.

Over 700 teachers and students listened, as the "victims" recounted how they were being allegedly harassed by Ray who teaches political science. The angry students did not stop at that. They gheraoed the principal and shouted slogans, seeking Ray's immediate suspension, and burnt the vice-principal's effigy as well. The protests, which began around 11 am, continued for over three hours.

The students later submitted a collective complaint - in the form of a resolution - to the principal, Rajendra Prasad, who set up a central complaints committee (CCC) to look into the matter.

The protesters alleged that similar charges had been levelled against Ray earlier but no action was taken. The principal, however, denied this.

"I have never received any such complaint against Ray before. This was the first time that students approached me with such a complaint, which will be probed by the CCC, whose meeting is scheduled for Monday. As a principal, I don't have the powers to suspend him (Ray). It is under the purview of the governing body and university's vice-chancellor," said Prasad.
But a young lecturer, who was present at the meeting, alleged that this was not the first time that Ray had been accused of sexual harassment.

Rebutting all the charges, Ray said: "One of the complainants has recently migrated to our college and took my help in the admission process. He even visited my home during Durga Puja last week. I am surprised that students have posted such allegations against me. My conscience is clear and truth will prevail." Ray has been teaching in Ramjas for the past 34 years and is a father of two children.

Speaking to TOI, one of the victims, a third-year student of political science, alleged that he was molested in a hospital last year, where he had gone to visit Ray after he suffered a heart attack.

"Ray told me to lie down beside him and I obeyed, as he threatened to ruin my career," he said. "Some months later, Ray called me to his house in Model Town, where he again asked for sexual favours. This time, I protested and left his house immediately. I never had the courage to complain, till recently when I came to know that many students have gone through a similar experience and many more were being victimised even now. All of us gathered strength and approached our teachers and conducted this general body meeting on Thursday," he added.

Another victim, a second-year student of history, alleged that Ray has been calling him over to his college quarters, where he shifted recently.

"He has been asking me to visit his home every evening on the pretext of giving some notes. When I refused, he said he can influence my internal assessment marks, so I gave in unwillingly. He has often sought sexual favours from me."

These two students, and two more, have lodged a complaint with the college's gender forum as well. The resolution passed by students and teachers at Thursday's meeting read: "Ray has violated all norms of decency...and blatantly misused his power and status...he has brought disrepute to the profession and the department...There have been proven charges against the accused of sexual assault and abuse of students, both inter- and intra-department."

Students have also accused Ray of being involved in financial irregularities and indulging in favouritism during admission. Ray has been the convener of admissions for the past few years.

Molestation charges keep Ramjas on the boil

Avishek Dastidar, Abhinav Kumar and Garima Sharma,
Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 26, 2007



Students of Delhi University's Ramjas College boycotted classes on Thursday following allegations of sexual harassment against the college vice-principal.

Vice-principal BN Ray, against whom the students demanded action, has denied the charge and said he suspected mischief by some students.

The victim, a second-year male student, said Ray had invited him over to his house for dinner on Wednesday night. During dinner, the vice-principal tried to "approach inappropriately" and wanted to hug him, he alleged at a student's meeting on Thursday.

Ray said the charges were "baseless". "It is shocking what the students did today. Students come over uninvited to my house where I live with my wife and children. I have never invited anyone," he told HT.

"Students must have had grievances against me and are now using the opportunity to create a mountain out of a molehill," Ray said.

The college, however, has referred the matter to Delhi University's College Complaints Committee formed to look into such allegations. "The committee will take up the issue on Monday. It is beyond my powers to take further actions against the accused," said Rajender Prasad, principal, Ramjas College.

In their complaint, the students alleged that Ray had issued a written apology a few years ago following similar allegations. But both Ray and Prasad denied this.

DUSU president Amrita Bahari said, "We want the accused to be suspended till the time the committee comes up with a verdict."