It has come to our notice that a Hall 2 mess worker, Jagdish Pal who has been working in the institute for the past 13 years, was removed from his job without being given a legitimate reason on 27th January 2024. In the peak of winter, the Hall 2 mess administration forced the mess workers to report at 6.30 am sharp, failing which by even one minute meant a deduction of the whole day’s pay. There were many instances of the workers being sent back from work without pay. Some workers were also asked to leave without pay after working both the breakfast and lunch shifts. When Jagdish spoke up against this oppressive practice, he was suspended for four days. When he tried to rejoin after four days, he was asked to find work somewhere else.
Jagdish has served this institute for 13 years. Firing someone after 13 years of working in the same place seems to indicate that those of us who are at the bottom of the ladder are disposable to the institute. From all accounts, he has been a diligent worker who has always come to the aid of his fellow workers. His long years of experience have improved his skill set which added value to the overall mess functioning. Due to the practice of arbitrary hiring and firing, we lose the added value that 13 years of experience brings to the mess. This disruption in the regular functioning of the mess has a direct impact on the everyday life of students.
The mess worker’s firing concerns us as students because the lack of due process in his termination highlights the misuse of power in the institute at different levels. For example, in the case of Jagdish, who himself cannot read or write, was asked on multiple occasions to sign an “apology” letter which was later produced to the hall authorities as evidence against him. This points to how the vulnerabilities of a person are used against him by those in power. Workers have no grievance redressal mechanisms. It is therefore important for the campus community to intervene against such practices and ensure that proper and just procedures are in place. This highlights the need for the students to engage in conversation with the mess and other workers, leading to a better understanding of the mess functioning, as well as the entire support system of essential services including sanitation, horticulture, water supply, etc. To this end, we also urge the students and residents of Hall 2 to take up the issue of the arbitrary firing of Jagdish Pal with various student representatives in their respective halls and forums.
Please recognize the urgency of the issue and make sure that Jagdish gets his job back immediately. This would help him to continue to support his family who are already burdened with financial distress due to medical loans taken in the past. He also has two children whose education would be impacted if he doesn’t get his job back soon. It is important to note that due processes have not been followed in Jagdish’s case.
We must ensure that such arbitrary firings do not take place in the future in the institute and Jagdish gets his job back.
Forum for Critical Thinking (FCT-IITK)
Forum for Critical Thinking (FCT-IITK) is an informal group of IIT Kanpur students and community members aiming to develop a critical understanding of issues facing the institute and the country. FCT-IITK formed out of a series of discussions amongst students who were concerned about the erosion of democratic values both within the campus and in the country. This forum aims to understand the systemic reasons that underlie the problems faced by the campus community and attempts to understand it in relation to the socio-political context we occupy within the larger body politic of the nation. Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/iitkfct. You can reach us: at criticalthinkingforumiitk@gmail.com.
To better understand IITK mess functions see: How mess functions at IITK – Part 1: Fixed Cost Service Model (FCSC). Vox Populi. https://voxiitk.com/how-mess-functions-at-iitk-part-1/
How Mess functions at IITK – Part 2: Invisiblization of Labor at Mess. Vox Populi. https://voxiitk.com/how-mess-functions-at-iitk-part-2/
निर्वाक 