Indian uni bans students from Fiji
March 22 2010
A prominent education institution in India has stopped intakes of students from Fiji following accusations of harassment by a female student against a professor at the university.
The Indian High Commissioner in Fiji, Professor Prabhakar Jha, confirmed the Central Hindi Institute or the Kendriye Hindi Sansthan in Agra, had banned students from Fiji following the incident, the Fiji Times reported.
"I have been trying to make contact with the school in India to find out why the school is punishing all students from Fiji if maybe, one student has wronged them."
The student in question, a radio journalist and a Fiji Times Pride of Fiji recipient, Swaran Mala, lodged a complaint against the professor after she accused him of harassing her and warning her of bad results if she complained to anyone.
Agra police have confirmed to the media in India that a report was lodged with them.
A group of foreign students, including the girl, openly accused the faculty member of misbehaving and making sexual overtures to them in front of the newly-appointed vice-chairman, poet Ashok Chakradhar, who was on his maiden visit to the institute in December, last year.
Police filed a case against the professor following Ms Mala's public outburst. In her complaint, Ms Mala, said the professor had sent her vulgar messages on her mobile phone.
When she protested, she was threatened and warned of the consequences that could affect her result.
According to the police, the professor used to send 10 to 12 messages daily to the student.
Prof Jha said: "I am not aware of such things happening, but I will try to find out."
Ms Mala, in an email, alleged the professor had harassed her and people had spread rumours in Fiji about her.
She wrote, "On a weekend I went to visit the Golden Temple in Punjab. I was in Amritsar and I received a call from Prabhakar Jha. He said 'Hey Swaran, I heard you married a Muslim boy and are now in Shimla’."
Prof Jha confirmed he received a call from India from an unknown person telling him of Ms Mala's alleged marriage.
He said he called Ms Mala out of concern to advise her that if she intended to get married then she should do so with the blessing of her parents.
Ms Mala further alleges she was forced to change her statement after being threatened.
She further wrote in her email, "On 11th March, I was called to the director's office and given a notice to be in court on March 21.
"It was a Sunday and I found out from people of Agra that courts are closed on Sundays.
"On the notice, there is no mention of the court's name.
"I am really frightened. I have no idea what's going on here. Even today (March 17), I received a mail, a threatening letter saying I should not change my statement in front of anyone.
"The statement I was forced to make, I have been warned to stick to it or I will be in hot water again. I feel insecure here."
Questions sent by email to the school by the Fiji Times have remained unanswered. Each year 25 students from Fiji receive scholarships from India to take up undergraduate and postgraduate studies in India.
A prominent education institution in India has stopped intakes of students from Fiji following accusations of harassment by a female student against a professor at the university.
The Indian High Commissioner in Fiji, Professor Prabhakar Jha, confirmed the Central Hindi Institute or the...
A prominent education institution in India has stopped intakes of students from Fiji following accusations of harassment by a female student against a professor at the university.
The Indian High Commissioner in Fiji, Professor Prabhakar Jha, confirmed the Central Hindi Institute or the Kendriye Hindi Sansthan in Agra, had banned students from Fiji following the incident, the Fiji Times reported.
"I have been trying to make contact with the school in India to find out why the school is punishing all students from Fiji if maybe, one student has wronged them."
The student in question, a radio journalist and a Fiji Times Pride of Fiji recipient, Swaran Mala, lodged a complaint against the professor after she accused him of harassing her and warning her of bad results if she complained to anyone.
Agra police have confirmed to the media in India that a report was lodged with them.
A group of foreign students, including the girl, openly accused the faculty member of misbehaving and making sexual overtures to them in front of the newly-appointed vice-chairman, poet Ashok Chakradhar, who was on his maiden visit to the institute in December, last year.
Police filed a case against the professor following Ms Mala's public outburst. In her complaint, Ms Mala, said the professor had sent her vulgar messages on her mobile phone.
When she protested, she was threatened and warned of the consequences that could affect her result.
According to the police, the professor used to send 10 to 12 messages daily to the student.
Prof Jha said: "I am not aware of such things happening, but I will try to find out."
Ms Mala, in an email, alleged the professor had harassed her and people had spread rumours in Fiji about her.
She wrote, "On a weekend I went to visit the Golden Temple in Punjab. I was in Amritsar and I received a call from Prabhakar Jha. He said 'Hey Swaran, I heard you married a Muslim boy and are now in Shimla’."
Prof Jha confirmed he received a call from India from an unknown person telling him of Ms Mala's alleged marriage.
He said he called Ms Mala out of concern to advise her that if she intended to get married then she should do so with the blessing of her parents.
Ms Mala further alleges she was forced to change her statement after being threatened.
She further wrote in her email, "On 11th March, I was called to the director's office and given a notice to be in court on March 21.
"It was a Sunday and I found out from people of Agra that courts are closed on Sundays.
"On the notice, there is no mention of the court's name.
"I am really frightened. I have no idea what's going on here. Even today (March 17), I received a mail, a threatening letter saying I should not change my statement in front of anyone.
"The statement I was forced to make, I have been warned to stick to it or I will be in hot water again. I feel insecure here."
Questions sent by email to the school by the Fiji Times have remained unanswered. Each year 25 students from Fiji receive scholarships from India to take up undergraduate and postgraduate studies in India.
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