Agitation in Cachar College demanding suspension of Ananda Ghosh; "Motivated by corrupt Principal," says Ghosh

“Ananda Ghosh Hatao College Bachao,” slogans echoing in the Cachar College campus since today afternoon. The non-teaching staff of the College are agitating. Their allegation is that the assistant professor, Political Science department Cachar College Silchar, Ananda Ghosh has abused and misbehaved with them inside the premises.

According to the agitating non-teaching employees of the college, Ananda Chandra Ghosh has been, “misguiding and misusing” the students of the college. “We charge Rs 200 from every student as Incidental Charge which is used for miscellaneous purposes during the examination.  Professor Ghosh has been misleading the students and provoking them against the administration. Today, when the matter was discussed with him, he misbehaved with us,” said a non-teaching employee agitating in front of the gate of the College.

Controversial if nor criminal, professor Ananda Chandra Ghosh has been making the headlines for all wrong reasons for quite some time. He has been alleged of mishandling funds of the KK Handique Open University housed in Cachar College. He has also been alleged of threatening fellow colleagues, using foul language while communicating with peers and also misbehaving with female staff. After a Governing Body meeting on July 23, 2020, Ghosh was removed from all the cells and committees that involved financial transactions.

Ghosh was the coordinator of the National Service Scheme and the Principal of Cachar College, Sidhartha Shankar Nath had asked him to handover the charges along with cheque book. While speaking with Barak Bulletin, Nath said that he was sent a letter asking him to submit all documents before a particular date, which he did not. “As decided in the meeting, we will now file a police complaint against Ghosh as he did not submit the charges of NSS,” said Nath.

On the other hand, Ananda Chandra Ghosh has his counter-allegations. The associate professor alleges that the Principal is conspiring against him. “Students are questioning the administration why Rs 200 incidental charge is being charged to each one of them. What do I have to do with it?  They are charging the money without a receipt and blaming me for a backlash,” said Ghosh while speaking with Barak Bulletin.

The non-teaching staff agitating, however, said that the incidental charge is charged to the students as per the provisions of the University. “There is no foul play there,” said the agitating non-teaching staff.

About today’s incident, Ghosh said, “Corrupt Principal has motivated the staff and planned an attack on him.” He explained, “When I entered the college, the attendance register was not kept where it always is. Someone told me that it was kept inside in another room. I went there and that is when the accountant Biswajit Das asked me to see him at his office. I went there and Das started telling me that I must not mislead the students about the Incidental Charges. He was talking to me politely but that is when Biswajit Yadav came and started talking to me inappropriately.”

Ghosh went on to say, “He is a grade four staff and he dared to talk to me in that manner. When I went to the Principal’s office to complain about the same, I was not allowed to enter. The principal has teamed up with them to conspire against me.  Also, Biswajit Yadav’s wife has been given a job by the Principal without an interview. Because I talk about all that, I am being targetted.”

The state of affairs at Cachar College is murky at best and fraudulent at worse. According to sources, Ananda Chandra Ghosh is involved in a Rs 16 lakh scam related to KK Handique Open University. Not only that, sources revealed that the Principal of the college has a voice recording of a conversation between Ghosh and another professor, where Ghosh is hurling abuses and threats. Strange, that the Principal did not report the same to Police.

“When the Police van enters the college wailing the siren, it leaves a negative impact on the students. Moreover, it defames the College and its reputation,” said Principal Nath while explaining why they didn’t file a fresh FIR last year. But the strikes and media visits do no good to the reputation of the college. “Yes, we have realised that and so, we have decided that in the next few days, we will lodge an FIR,” informed Nath.

Ananda Ghosh too said he will file an FIR if the College authority does not take action against the non-teaching staff for misbehaving with him.