Rajya Sabha MP V. Sivadasan has written to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to express deep concern and strong protest over an alleged incident of violence against a faculty member at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak.
In his letter, the MP stated that Charles Varghese, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, IGNTU, was reportedly attacked at his on-campus residence by individuals affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Describing the incident as “shocking and disturbing,” Dr. Sivadasan said it raised serious concerns about the safety and security of faculty members within university campuses.
He also cautioned that such incidents point to the growing politicisation of academic spaces, thereby undermining the core values of higher education. “This is not only an attack on an individual teacher, but also a direct assault on the autonomy, dignity and functioning of higher educational institutions,” the letter stated, adding that universities must remain spaces for learning, dialogue and democratic engagement, and not arenas of violence and coercion.
The MP urged the Chief Minister to initiate an immediate, impartial and time-bound investigation into the incident. He also called for the swift identification and arrest of those involved, enhanced security for the assaulted faculty member and others on campus, and stringent measures to prevent recurrence of such violence.