Principal wanted apology, student goes to HC instead: Decoding St Stephen's interview row

New Delhi: The ongoing row involving St Stephen’s Principal Valson Thampu and student of Philosophy Devansh Mehta over the publication of an interview in a start-up digital magazine – Stephen’s Weekly – appears to be just a clash of egos and differing perceptions of ethics in journalism. [caption id=“attachment_2200398” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of St Stephen’s College, Delhi.[/caption] The online magazine carrying campus news and history, jokes and pranks played over the years, a play review and an interview of the principal was launched by four students with Mehta, a third-year graduation student, in the role of editor on 5 March. The principal agreed for the interview on a condition that he will be provided with its pre-publication transcript and it can be published only when it gets cleared by him. As decided, the transcript was e-mailed to Thampu but publishers did not wait for him to respond and published it, arguing there was “nothing inflammatory”. “Despite being explicitly told not to publish anything, especially my interview before I had the time to go through and clear the text, you went ahead in defiance. It is unacceptable. It denotes an awkward failure of education and that is why I cannot take it lightly,” said Thampu in an e-mail. Mehta, on the other hand, says his team had the principal’s consent before launching the magazine and he was “happy” with his interview. “We mailed him a transcript but he didn’t reply. So we didn’t delay the publication," he said, adding that “there was nothing inflammatory in the interview. How can this be the best liberal arts college in the country if we don’t have the right to speak our minds?" After a one-member inquiry committee set up by the principal under the leadership of Professor SR Ayde found Mehta guilty of “breaching the trust” and “procedural lapse”, he was suspended from the college till 23 April. He has been barred from entering the college campus. He was also stripped of Rai Saheb Banarsi Das Memorial Prize given to students for their “good conduct”. He was due to receive the award on the college’s Graduation Day on Saturday where Arvind Kejriwal was going to be chief guest. “After the one-man inquiry committee found the student concerned guilty of a serious breach, I discussed the matter with Ayde on the appropriate course of action. He suggested that a lenient view be taken and the matter be closed, provided the person concerned is willing to express his regret and tender an apology,” he said. While the three founder members of the magazine, which has been banned now, chose to offer apologies, Mehta refused to do so. “I requested Ayde, on the grounds that he is the senior tutor, to counsel the student concerned. His patient efforts failed and the student persisted with the posture of defiance,” said the principal. Mehta has now approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on his suspension by college principal. In his writ petition filed before the court, Mehta has sought “quashing of the order banning/suspending publication of the St Stephen’s Weekly, stay on the suspension order and restraining the principal from taking any further action against him." A section of students and alumni have come out in support of Mehta and requested the Delhi Chief Minister not to be the chief guest at the college’s function. “We request you again, to refuse the invitation to attend the Convocation ceremony at St Stephen’s College to help us assert our stance against an oppressive administrative system,” the petition says. We known alumni of the college, including former Delhi Lokayukta, Justice Manmohan Sarin and former Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi, have termed the college’s action “extreme and disproportionate” and requested Thampu to reconsider the ban on Mehta. Shocked at the manner in which the college administration “curbed the freedom of expression” by banning the e-magazine, an alumni group - Association of Old Stephanians – questioned how can college authorities ban the e-zine when the Supreme Court has struck down Section 66A of the IT Act to safeguard free speech on the internet. It alleged that the college administration is trying to “curb the questioning spirit” of the student. “Why the principal did not raise any objection on the launch of the magazine when he was being interviewed?” asked Ashish Joshi, a member of the association alleging that the “principal is destroying the college’s culture."