Chennai: Vipin Veetil, former assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology wrote a letter to Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan demanding that Jyotirmaya Tripati, Head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, should temporarily resign. Urging for a fair probe, Veetil mentioned that Tripati is in a position to tamper evidence pertaining to the ongoing investigation. Veetil tendered his resignation in July 2021 as assistant professor in IIT Madras alleging caste discrimination at the institute.
IIT Madras had constituted a three-member committee to probe the issue."..the faculty members interviewed by the committee depend on the Head of the Department for promotions, research grants, and access to resources. Mr. Tripati coordinating the investigation sends the ‘wrong’ signals to members of the Department. Or shall I say, and sadly so, that it sends the ‘right’ signal, which is that ‘those in power shall remain in power, so be wary of what you say, for the axe can fall upon you tomorrow’, that ‘their kin shall protect them, but you are alone, for your kin and kith are far away in the farms, so think twice before you speak and thrice before you think’.
Veetil noted in his letter that he did not receive any response from the institute's Director for his two letters urging for temporary step-down of Tripati for 'due process' of investigation. Stating that the IIT administration should have asked Tripati to resign before the commencement of the probe, he added, "Unfortunately, such oversights are not oversights at all. They are features, not bugs. And these features are merely the superficial manifestations of a far deeper rot: the subjugation of truth, justice, and scholarship by caste. A subjugation which is maintained with administrative structures that reproduce themselves."
Also read: IIT Madras Professor quits job alleging caste discrimination
Veetil also said that further consideration of Tripati for positions of power should be made only after the probe by both the committee and National Commission for Other Backward Classes is over. There should be a probe into whether Tripati attempted to interfere in the probe by influencing faculty members ahead of their appearance before the grievance committee or by tampering with evidence accessible to him, he demanded.
Vipin resigned from the Humanities and Social Sciences Department alleging caste-based discrimination at the institute since his joining in March 2019. As per reports, he is expected to rejoin, as the institute's rules state that an assistant position can return within a year of resignation. A probe is being carried out by IIT-M's internal grievance committee and the National Commission for Other Backward Classes. Vipin belongs to the Other Backward Class in Kerala, as per reports.
