AMU students seek removal of professor over alleged phone calls

MALAPPURAM: The students of Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) south India campus at Malappuram, including 320 students from various North Indian states have come up with serious allegation of mental harassment including late night telephone calls to girls and late night visit of girls hostels, against a teacher and they have approached the vice chancellor of University seeking removal of the teacher.
The students have launched an indefinite hunger strike on the campus at Perinthalmanna in the district demanding the removal of Dr M H Faridi, the assistant professor of political science.But Faridi rules out all allegations saying that students are turning against him because of his efforts to maintain discipline.
In the e-mail complaint lodged by the students to the vice-chancellor of University main campus at Lucknow which seeks the termination of Faridi, the students are alleging that Faridi takes visits to the girls’ hostel during late night hours without prior intimation which is an intrusion in to the privacy of the girls, he makes late night telephonic calls to girls and extracting information about other girls, he is mentally harassing students by intimidating them and he is incompetent in teaching and he is delivering irrelevant lectures in class rooms.
The complaint also has pointed out that one girl student was forced to leave the centre last year due to mental harassment from the part of centre authorities and her father’s demand to remove Faridi is yet to be addressed properly.
The protesters had raised various other demands including the round the clock ambulance service and establishment of college union when strike started on Friday and the centre director has already agreed the demands except the termination of Faridi. The centre director Dr A H Abdul Azees said that he is not the person to take a final decision on the removal of teacher and the higher authorities will consider the demand.
A second year BALLB girl student of the centre told TOI on the condition of anonymity that the strike will continue until removing Faridi taking into consideration the sentiments of students and the University authorities should be ready to announce an enquiry against him based on the allegation from the part of students. “We cannot continue in this institution if Faridi continue here as teacher. He even try to photograph the girls without their consent and commenting about the girls’ attire. Many girls have already complained about his late night calls and personal whatsapp messages”, she said.
Meanwhile responding on the issue Dr M H Faridi said that all allegations are fabricated. “Students are raising allegations because of my disciplinary actions against students. All my efforts were to ensure the safety of students and to provide necessary facilities to them in college and hostel. The agitation is an attempt to tarnish the image of centre which is functioning properly”, he said.