On March 31, 2021, the authorities at Ram Lal Anand College, Delhi University, terminated Dr. GN Saibaba from his Assistant Professor position without stating any reason.
G.N. Saibaba is a scholar, writer, human rights activist. Born in Andhra Pradesh, he has been wheelchair-bound ever since he was diagnosed with Polio at the age of five and is currently 90% physically handicapped. Saibaba taught English at Ram Lal Anand College until his arrest in May 2014 for alleged Maoist links.
His 22 yr old daughter Manjeera told scroll.in that there were no supporting documents attached to the letter to provide any reason for the termination. She said the family would challenge the letter in court, which said her father’s services are terminated with immediate effect from March 31 afternoon. The letter added that three months’ salary has been credited to Saibaba’s account.
“They initiated disciplinary proceedings [at the time of his arrest] against him, saying that he was not present in college to teach, so he has violated terms of services,” Manjeera said. “Our lawyer was in touch with the committee and we sent them a letter demanding some documents they did not give us, and we said they cannot use that reasoning because he is in a situation where he is not voluntarily not going.”
She said the family had sent a letter six months ago to the college about the documents, but they did not receive any response. “All of a sudden, we got this new termination notice,” she said.
The termination notice would end Saibaba’s salary from the college, raising concerns for the family. “It is a matter of our sustenance now,” Manjeera said.
Following the news of termination All India Students Association (AISA) DU unit released a statement that says
“Release Professor GN Saibaba! AISA condemns RLA College’s termination of Prof GN Saibaba! #ReleaseAllPoliticalprisoners!”
Release Professor GN Saibaba!
AISA condemns RLA College's termination of Prof GN Saibaba! #ReleaseAllPoliticalprisoners! pic.twitter.com/T0K4VnFSI3
— AISA – Delhi University (@aisa_du) April 2, 2021
Saibaba was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2017 and has remained incarcerated in Nagpur Central Jail’s ‘anda cell’ (solitary confinement). On February 13, he tested positive for the coronavirus. Ever since his that, politicians and intellectuals like Arundhati Roy, Prashant Bhushan, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and many more have been demanding his release.
Saibaba’s left hand is totally on the verge of failure, and that there is acute pain spreading in both his hands. He is plagued by pancreatitis, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, chronic back pain, immobility, and sleeplessness.
On April 30 2019, a panel of experts with the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) wrote to the Indian government urging authorities to immediately release Saibaba, citing his “seriously deteriorating” health condition.
