DU probe reports

The point of such investigations is two-fold. The first is to bring the facts of the incident into the light of day so that the public knows what has transpired. The second is to take measures based on the facts that come out to punish those who are culpable and to ensure that similar incidents do not recur. Manifestly, neither of these two aims is being met with respect to the probes commissioned by the DU authorities.

The reasons behind such a dereliction of duty on the part of the university authorities are straight-forward. The perpetrators of campus atrocities have very often been connected with important and influential cliques, most often the student wing of the political party then in power. The authorities are thus hesitant to publish reports that name names and point the finger of blame.

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What we have is a culture of silence surrounding undesirable activities on campus that stems from a culture of compliance. However, we expect better from the highest seat of learning in the country. If academia permits itself to be silenced in this manner, where do the people turn to for an upright conduct in upholding the higher moral values of honesty and integrity? The DU authorities must set a precedent worth following for the rest of the country and their investigations and reports should be the model for such procedures all across the board.

The occurrence of wanton police brutality in Shamsunnahar Hall occasioned a judicial inquiry; but to what avail? Neither the resulting report was fully made public, nor any appropriate follow-up action taken; actually it came to naught. Such and other incidents should be fully investigated and the reports that result must be made public and acted upon. Only then will we see a turnaround in the unhealthy atmosphere on campus.