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Balarampur: A lab attendant of a college in Bengal’s Puruliya district who complained last year to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against caste-based harassment by his college principal says he has been threatened by the principal with dire consequences if he did not withdraw his complaint. The principal has denied the allegation. Meanwhile, the NCSC’s direction to district authorities lies ignored for more than a month. 

Biswanath Ruidas, who is the Balarampur College’s only permanent Group D employee has detailed in his complaint that for years, the college principal Ananya Ghose has subjected him to repeated caste-based humiliation and public degradation, leading to mental harassment. 

This was behaviour that Ruidas likened to a “medieval mindset” and something that did not have a place in a modern educational institution.

“The Principal has treated me in a disgraceful manner for years. She hardly spoke to me without referring to my caste or humiliating me because of it,” Ruidas told The Wire at his residence in Chhotokad village on July 3.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on May 25 wrote to the Purulia district administration seeking an inquiry into the allegations. The Wire has seen the letter. But no action has been taken so far, according to Ruidas. 

The NCSC’s directions.

When The Wire visited the college, several teachers asked how a college principal in the 21st century could allegedly subject an employee to such caste-based abuse. They demanded a fair and impartial investigation and strict punishment if the allegations are found to be true.

However, Ruidas told this reporter that his complaints before teachers had largely been ignored. 

“I have repeatedly raised my complaints before the teachers’ council, the governing body of this college, and the Purulia SDO, the Vice-Chancellor of Sidhu-Kanhu University, the Balarampur Police Station and several other authorities. Everyone has been silent,” he said. 

Professor Manik Majhi, secretary of the teachers’ council, told The Wire that Ruidas had informed him about the alleged harassment he faced. “I had forwarded his written complaint to the college’s governing body, as the teachers’ council is authorised to deliberate only on academic matters. However, despite the complaint being forwarded, the governing body did not take any action,” he alleged.

Professor Pabitra Chakroborty, the Vice-Chancellor of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, said the university is aware of Ruidas’s complaint and that the matter is being looked........

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