Naga faculty accused of sexual harassment in Pune; protest erupts

Following accusation by multiple female students that one Dr Sentiwate Aier, faculty in the Department of Religion, Union Biblical Seminary (UBS) in Pune had ‘sexually and mentally harassed multiple female students of the Seminary on multiple occasions’, a group of students wrote a letter to the administration asking for immediate actions earlier on 29 March, it was revealed.

However, according to the students, the administration, till today, has not yet taken any action so far. Disappointed over the ‘poor and delayed response’ by the administration, a protest erupted today at UBS campus in Pune, Maharashtra with many students, including many from Northeast Indian states, raising slogans for justice against the alleged atrocities.

Talking with Mokokchung Times, a UBS student said, “A group of students wrote a letter to the administration with regards to the sexual harassment. However, the authorities are taking too much time and very little action has been done; so, to stand with our sisters, we are protesting.”

“The students are demanding that the board chairman come and address the issues as they are taking it too lightly,” the student added.

According to a letter by the students which was written to the administration, Dr Sentiwate Aier had made “inappropriate physical touches, employed sexual verbal overtones and has been making disturbing phone calls and messages at odd hours in the night.”

The matter was, therefore, complained to the Board Chairman on 29 March 2023 by the survivors through email. The email, according to the letter, was sent directly to the Board Chairman as the students had “no confidence in the administration and the Principal, as the perpetrator is very close to the principal.”

“The survivors felt that if they would write to the principal, they would be targeted. The faculty members, students, staff and ground staff have no faith and confidence in the arbitrary and autocratic governance of the principal and this incident proved the same,” the letter added.

The letter mentioned that since the principal ‘does not maintain confidentiality’ but on the contrary has a ‘history of leaking the confidential documents, names and the investigative ICC Reports of the sexually harassed female employees of UBS through email in the recent past,’ the victims, therefore, wrote directly to the Board Chairman hoping that some immediate action would be taken against the perpetrator.

However, it was alleged that despite 2 weeks having passed since the complaint was filed with the Chairman, no action has been taken yet.

“Dr Sentiwate is roaming free on campus, and the victims are petrified of his presence. His wife, Dr Watimongla Jamir (Female Hostel Warden, H.O.D Missiology) is going around the victims’ rooms trying to find out the names of the complainants to manipulate and intimidate the victims,” the letter alleged.

It further pointed out how complaint of sexual harassment is grave in nature and that according to Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act of 2013 and the POSH act which is also applicable to female students in an educational institution (Calcutta High Court, 2022), the accused should have been revoked of all his administrative and teaching positions with immediate effect.

However, it said that despite two weeks having passed on the complaint, no action whatsoever has been taken on the perpetuator.

“It terrifies to know that such a person is freely roaming around campus without facing any action. It is exam time, the complainants are now mentally and emotionally devastated, they are now unsure about their theological education at UBS,” it added.

Dr Sentiwate is the Dean of Graduate Studies, Campus Manager, Touring Choir Director, Dean of Church Relations and also a Faculty in the Department of Religion, UBS.

Mokokchung Times