Ambedkar varsity profs sacked over progressive views: Students’ body
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) has condemned the termination of Prof Salil Mishra of the History Department and Prof Asmita Kabra of the Human Ecology Department at Ambedkar University, Delhi, (AUD), accusing the administration of political retaliation against progressive voices.
The student body has demanded the immediate reinstatement of the professors, and the regularisation of non-teaching staff at the university.
In a statement released on Friday, the AISA called the terminations part of a larger campaign by the administration to punish individuals who spoke out against its policies.
“The message is clear,” the AISA said. “If you are a progressive individual who voices dissent or works for the betterment of the university, you will be punished and your career will be destroyed.”
The statement also referenced the case of Prof Valentina, who faced similar retaliation after filing a complaint about gender and caste-based harassment.
The AISA argued that such actions were part of a wider pattern at AUD, where faculty members, staff and students who opposed the administration’s agenda were being targeted, harassed or forced out.
The student body pointed out that Prof Mishra, who was set to retire in a few months, had been denied his post-retirement benefits, a move they described as an “unjust” attempt to silence him.
“His termination at the final hour of his long and illustrious career in academia ensures that he will not receive his rightful retirement benefits,” the AISA stated.
The release also highlighted the role of the university’s administration in revoking the regularisation of non-teaching staff, which has left many workers in precarious employment conditions for over six years.
