Special
SAT Report
KARACHI: The Karachi University is again in the grip of unrest and
turmoil. Academic activities have been suspended and the students
have joined hands with the teachers against the dictatorial rule
of the Vice-Chancellor and the arbitrary decision of the military
regime to withdraw government subsidy on higher education on the
recommendations of the Steering Committee for Higher Education.
Twelve
senior professors of the university, including the Secretary General
of the Teachers’ Society (KUTS) Mr. Sarwar Naseem, Dr. Abid
Azhar, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Afaq Siddiqui, Nusrat Idrees and
Dr. Mahmood Ghaznavi were beaten up by the Rangers of the army on
the orders of the Vice Chancellor on Saturday, September 7, 2002.
They were manhandled to the extent that Mr. Sarwar Naseem received
three fractures while Dr. Abdul Qadeer was in a state of unconsciousness.
Over
35 students and teachers were seriously injured. The Secretary of
KUTS Sarwar Nasim, and a member teacher were mercilessly beaten
by sticks and rifle-butts used by the Rangers resulting in multiple
fractures to their hands. Dr Mehmood Ghaznavi suffered a heart attack
when he was attacked by a rifle-butt on his chest. Another Senior
Professor and head of the Applied Physics Department Prof Abdul
Qadeer was also injured when the Rangers threw a heavy stone at
his back.
Five
other teachers, including threee females, were also injured. In
addition 27 students were brutally beaten and 7 suffered fractures.
It was an unprecedented show of power by the Rangers who were trying
to protect the administration block. But the protestors showed historic
courage and continued to rally at the gates till they were opened
and a huge sit in was staged.
Eight
students earlier arrested by the Rangers were released after the
sit-in began. Over 2000 students and teachers were involved. A General
Body Meeting of the KUTS scheduled at a nearby lobby was held inside
the administration block compound, with mostly young female teachers
attending. The teachers were furious at the brutality and attempts
of the VC to threaten teachers earlier in the morning. Later after
3 hours of sit-in, the protestors marched in thousands towards the
main entrance of the campus and blocked the main University Road
for a symbolic 15 minutes. The protestors then dispersed peacefully.
The
KUTS has demanded that the VC is removed, cases and terminations
of students and teachers are withdrawn, Deputy Registrar, Registrar
and others who have been victimizing teachers, staff and students
for months are sacked and a judicial inquiry is held against their
abuse of power.
The
VC and his cohorts fled the campus when the protest began and later
it was announced that the varsity will be closed for students for
next two days (Sept 9 and 10). The KUTS has called for another Black
Day on Sept 9 and will hold a rally at the main Arts Lobby at 10:30
am.
The
tussle between the Government authorities and the teachers ensued
as soon as the recommendations for the restructuring of the public
universities by the military regime’s formulated Steering
Committee for Higher Education were made public. The teachers of
the public universities, who have been diligently dispensing their
duties under most adverse conditions, were already wary on the composition
of the task force, as most of its members came from private universities,
while educationists from public universities were completely ignored,
expressed strong reservation on the recommendations.
Access
to Education is the right of every citizen and it is the responsibility
of the state to ensure that no one is deprived of this right. In
a country where the average income is less than $ 50/- per month
and according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, 40% of the population
is below $ 1 per day income, acquiring education falls somewhat
low in the citizen’s priority list.
It
is here that the state has to come to the rescue and provide him
the education he needs for his future, for the society and for the
country. The more educated the people are, the better will be the
output of the nation. Currently there are about 41 state universities
in the country, where almost half a million students are enrolled
and engaged in the pursuits of higher education. Public universities
despite all adversities and drawbacks, have been the alma mater
of prominent people and have provided academic excellence to all
irrespective of their social and economic status.
But
this facility, enshrined and guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan,
is being overlooked by the military regime. Overwhelmed by the glamour
of market economy and private enterprise, the regime wants to do
away with the subsidy the state provides and aims to commercialize
higher education.
In
this background the findings and recommendations of the Steering
Committee for Higher Education came as a shock. These included:
to right-size the varsities, introduce a contract system for the
teaching staff, remove all representation of teachers from statutory
bodies like the Syndicate, Academic Council and Senate and replace
these with nominated bodies, increase the semester fees up to $900/-
per month, change syllabus and focus on science and technology.
The
Universities’ Act 1974 provides protection to teachers’
and guarantees them democratic rights in their pursuits of academic
activities. With the implementation of the above mentioned recommendations
the teachers feel that it would jeopardize their freedom and sense
of security to their academic commitment.
With
the increase in the fee structure and emphasis on science and technology,
social sciences would be marginalized, while girls who are culturally
underprivileged and on whom their parents are reluctant to spend,
and the economically deprived classes, would be denied the facility
of higher education. Teachers say it would make higher education
inaccessible for even the middle class families whose income ranges
between $150/- to 200/- per month.
It
were these considerations that the teachers’ community expressed
their concern which earned them the wrath of the military regime.
"Never in the history of our universities, has such a heinous
incident taken place. Our heads hang in shame," an activist
said..
The
Human Rights Cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party has also condemned
this "militarization of
the universities" and the baton charge on the unarmed and defenseless
teachers and students.
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