Kalakshetra row: Protest held demanding judicial probe

CHENNAI: Members of bodies associated with various Left party bodies on Monday staged a protest outside the campus of the Kalakshetra Foundation, demanding a judicial investigation on allegations made by students against some faculty members.

Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association, Students Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India participated in the protest and raised slogans against the management of the Institution.

They alleged that the Kalakshetra management was threatening students for raising their voice in public against alleged sexual harassment in campus.

In view of the protests, police was seen deployed in force outside the institution.

While four faculty members of the institution have been accused of sexual harassment by its students, one professor Hari Padman, has been arrested by police.

After the arrest, he was dismissed by the institution. Today's protest against the alleged apathy of the management in taking action on the student's complaints started on March 30 after many students raised their concerns on various social media platforms.

Kalakshetra in its statement issued on April 4 said its governing board had formed an independent inquiry committe headed by a retired judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice K Kannan to enquire into the student's complaints.

The inquiry committe also includes former Tamil Nadu DJP Letika Saran and Dr. Shobha Varthaman. the statement further added that a new student and counsellor and independent advisory committe would be appointed immediately to strengthen the administration of Kalakshetra Foundation.

Students, however, remain unsatisfied with this announcement and have alleged that the issues are almost systemic in the institution further allege and that discriminations based on caste, colour and other physical features are rampant.