A Muslim professor at Kolkata’s Surendranath College has alleged that students confined her to her office for nearly 23 hours and forced her to sign a resignation letter over an attendance dispute.
Mohammadi Tarannum, the college’s vice principal and teacher in charge, said students drafted the resignation letter and pressured her to sign it on September 11. She was later escorted out of the college by police.
Tarannum has since told the government that she signed the letter under pressure. On September 12, she publicly rejected the resignation.
Speaking to The Wire, Tarannum alleged that she was subjected to abusive and offensive remarks during the protest.
“I heard so much abuse, so many obscene remarks involving caste, religion and politics from students that I fell ill for two days. They abused me, mocked me and made all sorts of offensive remarks,” she said.
“Even after being subjected to such extreme mental torture, I have decided that I will not resign unless they kill me,” she added.
ABVP Members ‘Purify’ Her Office
After Tarannum left the college under police protection, a group of students led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad entered her chamber.
The students lit incense sticks and sprinkled Ganga water inside the room, describing the act as a “purification” ritual. They also put up posters demanding Tarannum’s resignation.
ABVP college leader Sambit Das told The Wire that the organisation wanted Tarannum to resign and remained firm on the demand.
“We do not want to see her face. We want her resignation. We remain firm on that demand,” Das said.
However, fourth year student Rajat Agar, who participated in the agitation, denied that Tarannum had been pressured.
“What the vice principal has been claiming is false. She was not pressured,” Agar said.
Dispute Over 65% Attendance Rule
The dispute began over attendance requirements for law students. Students need at least 65% attendance to appear for their semester examinations. A section of students had not met the requirement.
Tarannum said she was enforcing the attendance rule ahead of the eighth semester examinations scheduled for September 29.
“One group is preventing students from attending classes and, at the same time, making all kinds of demands. I am a government employee and I am working according to government rules,” she said.
Teachers are now holding additional classes on Sundays to help students meet the attendance requirement. Tarannum has also been coordinating with Calcutta University to arrange classes, saying she does not want students to suffer because of the dispute.
College Yet to Clarify Resignation
The college governing body is headed by BJP MLA Kaustav Bagchi, who said students had submitted complaints against Tarannum and that he had forwarded them to the Higher Education Department.
“Efforts are being made to ensure that all students can sit for the examination. Students have submitted a series of complaints against that professor,” Bagchi said. “I have forwarded those matters to the Higher Education Department. I hope a healthy environment will now return.”
The Higher Education Department has not publicly clarified whether Tarannum’s resignation letter is considered valid.
Tarannum said she emailed the government from her car immediately after being released, informing officials that she had signed the letter under pressure.
She also said she knew who was behind the incident but had decided not to file a police complaint.
“I will not even lodge a complaint with the police. They are like my own children,” she said.
Tarannum has taught at Surendranath College for nearly two decades and has served as its vice principal and teacher in charge since September 2007.
