On October 18th, many teachers and students of Delhi University took out a silent protest march against the issue of non-appointment of the Head of Hindi Department. They wore black bands and demanded that Prof Sheorah Singh Bechain, the senior-most faculty, should be appointed as the HoD.
The students and teachers who protested complained that due to the absence of the HoD, not just the researchers were facing multiple issues but also the date for MPhil and PhD admissions was being delayed.
The protesters even demanded the appointment of Bechain as HoD for the ‘interest of social justice.’
The post was vacated after the tenure of the former Head of the Department concluded on September 12. It’s been over a month and still there is no person assigned to handle the post.
Professor Bechain is one the handful Dalit professors in the University and is a renowned personality in anti-caste and Dalit literature. He has received multiple rewards from the Hindi Academy of both Madhya Pradesh and Delhi governments.
It’s been 70 years and no single Dalit faculty member has been appointed as the head of the department, said the teachers from the Delhi University.
