Kolkata: Kanak Chandra Sarkar, the Jadavpur University professor who sparked massive outrage with a Facebook post in which he compared a woman’s virginity to a “sealed bottle”, has been taken off his duties with immediate effect and also been barred from entering the varsity campus till the completion of an inquiry by Women’s Commission.
The Kolkata professor was removed after the Student-Teacher Committee of the International Relations department — in which Sarkar teaches — recommended that he be asked to stop teaching.
Professor Om Prakash Mishra, Head, Department of International Relations, issued a statement, saying: “In view of the recommendation of the student-teacher committee of the department, Professor Kanak Sarkar is divested of his teaching duties with immediate effect. Substitute arrangements would be decided in the meeting of the Board of Studies scheduled on January 18.”
Condemning Sarkar’s misogynistic comments, Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das said: “His comment has maligned the image of the university. It’s disgraceful. This cannot be tolerated. We have decided not to allow him to enter JU campus till inquiry is finished,” he added.
The students of the university had on Tuesday submitted a written complaint to the authorities, demanding the immediate removal of Sarkar, who specialises in political sociology, political thought, the Constitution and government, human rights and law, development administration, and ethnicity and terrorism.
Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW), has sent a letter to West Bengal DGP Virendra, asking him to take appropriate action against the JU professor.
“The NCW has come across several media reports regarding the professor’s shocking misogynist lessons on ‘virginity’. I request you to investigate the matter and take appropriate action as per the relevant provisions of IPC and subsequently, the commission be apprised a feedback in the matter at an early date,” reads Sharma’s letter to the DGP.
Sarkar, a professor at the university’s Department of International Relations, had written in the Facebook post: “Are you willing to buy a broken seal while purchasing a bottle of cold drink or a packet of biscuits? A girl is born sealed from birth until it is opened. A virgin girl means many things accompanied with values, culture, and sexual hygiene. To most boys virgin wife is like angel.”
His comments sparked off a massive outcry on social media in the face of which Sarkar deleted his post from Facebook. Speaking to News18, he had said, “I have not said anything wrong. As per constitution it’s my every right to view my expression. There is something freedom to express and speech.”
In another Facebook post on Sunday, Sarkar sought to clarify his views and said the Supreme Court had given freedom of expression on social media by repealing Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.
“I have not written anything against any person, individual or anybody without any evidence or proof or any reference,” he wrote. “I am doing social research and writing for the good and well-being of society. When Taslima Nasreen wrote against a particular religion, we supported her Freedom of Expression. We are supporting Bengali poet Srijato who writes about Hindu Gods.”
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