My sincere thanks also to those former research scholars at Centre for Latin American Studies(CLAS), Goa University who accepted my invitation and participated in a meeting on 27th February 2005 in Siolim, Goa. Also I aknowledge the moral boosting support of the families of the research scholars and members of the public who participated in the meeting- got shocked at the state of affairs at CLAS and avowed their support to the cause.
After the meeting; here goes the clarion call for the Battle.
Sebastian Rodrigues
SCHOLARS' CALL FOR THE BATTLE By Sebastian Rodrigues
My Battle is Battle of generation of tortured scholars. Unless we are healed we will never cease our momentum in mission.
With guts and courage we will march on, whatever may be difficulties, victory will be ours.
For we have nothing more to loose; for our dignity violated; human essence raped by system Prof. V. Shivkumar of CLAS at Goa University traumatized us all.
Oh, those silent come join us, be courageous and speak out!
Oh, fence-sitters you have to understand and take sides soon!
This is the terror launched on research students, this is the Battle we were least interested to take on; It is the war that is interested in us; forcing us to respond.
We have no option but to join together and organise resistence; the resistence of generation of scholars.
To restore our dignity to reclaim our human essence to heal our collective trauma to restore normalcy in our lives.
For these to launch a relentless battle; Our clarion call to one and all.
STATUS REGARDING MY FELLOWSHIP Over Rs. 18,000/- not yet released.
Here is the chronology as to how the event unfolded in the past one week.
On 18th February 2005 Prof. Shivkumar told me that Registrar wants to claim back my fellowship money from his salary; and he is psychologically prepared to pay Rs. 18,000/- to Registrar. Since that amount is not a big amount for him considering that he pays income tax several times more than that! And Registrar has blocked my fellowship since he enjoys bad blood with the Registrar. He was invisibily ordering me to be meek and submisive to his demoralising strategy.
Then on 19th February he told me on phone that he is going to sign my file as incomplete and return to Registrar. Also he told me, he had no access to finance section of Goa University and he will not do anything about my fellowship. His arrogance touched climax when he told me to "Do what You can."
Then when I posted the horror story on World wide web on 21st February 2005, he called me up at my house and told me that he is going to sent reminders about my fellowship to Registrar as well as to Vice- Chancellor every week!
Prof. V. Shivkumar in an e-mail on February 23, 2005 - response to my mail out - 'Horror at Goa University' says "Today we had sent to the Registrar and the VC a note urging them to immediately to clear your pending dues to enable you to complete your research work. As you are aware the centre had been taking up the matter of your fellowship with the administration right from 2002. We do hope the remaining amount of fellowship will be disbursed to you soon."
Some key questions rise up at this juncture: if it takes nearly 3 years to release my sanctioned amount of Rs. 36,000/- for juniour research fellowship- that too 50% yet to released- and I have to launch an international offensive to get it released- Just how much time does it takes to clear over 40,000/- a month as his salary and fellowship to his wife? How much time does it takes for Prof. Shivkumar to clear his travel allowances when he goes for conferences across the country? And he never forgets to include Rickshaw and taxi charges of his supposed travel within respective city like Delhi etc. How much time does it takes for him to clear his medical bills- both genuine as well as fake- from Goa University?
Director of CLAS at Goa University instead of thinking and Planning the orientation and direction of research in Latin American Studies for the next 30 years is scheming all his time as to how best to torture young Research students/Scholars and driving them towards demoralising state.
Since 1992, the Director of CLAS has sidelined exixting scholars of Latin American Studies within Goa. This strategy of Director has succeeded in preventing rooting of CLAS in Goa. And then the Director claims in publication 'Centre for Latin American studies, Goa University- An Overview 1992-2003 that "the Centre does not have adequate manpower resources"
The funmdamental essence that oriented Centre for Latin American Studies Programme at Goa University right from 1992 upto 2005 is the intellectual bankruptcy of it's Director. So much so that he holds Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in 1959 as 'Mystery'! So no explanations for such an important event can be asked for! And Academics is irrelevant!
Sebastian Rodrigues Research Scholar, Centre for Latin American Studies, Goa University, Goa. INDIA. Phone: (0832) 2272164 (R) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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