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USM yet to reopen after summer vacations

BHUBANESWAR: Uncertainty looms large over the future of nearly 500 students of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya (USM), Orissa’s premiere college of performing arts, for the prolonged discontinuation of classes for a month followed by sine die clamped on its campus for the past two months.

Following unrest for 26 days by the students over an alleged sexual harassment of the girl students by three of the faculty members, the Department of Culture directed the USM principal to declare it sine die. While all colleges in the State reopened on Thursday after the summer vacation, USM is yet to resume its campus life pushing its students into a state of uncertainty and depression.

When contacted, college principal S.S.Mohanta admitted that the college could not reopen on Thursday as there was no instruction from the Department of Culture.

The department fears fresh agitation on the premises as it has not yet removed the accused from the college, sources in the Government said. The principal, on June 3 last, had written to the department to lift the sine die stating that there was no fear of any unrest, it added.

The sources further revealed that Culture Minister S.N. Patro, who reviewed the situation on June 9, has asked the principal to get a written undertaking from the students that they would not resort to any agitation; following which the department would order lifting of the sine die. This is an “unreasonable demand” from the Minister, remarked a number of faculty members and students requesting not to be named.

The principal has sent another letter to the department on Wednesday requesting reopening of the college as early as possible.

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