Odisha professor loses job over airing her views on India-Pakistan war

An Assistant Professor, Madhumita Ray, who was teaching at a private university, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneshwar, was sacked after she aired her views of being against India-Pakistan war on a local TV channel after the Pulwama terror attack.

Madhumita had appeared on a prime time group discussion programme on Kanak News channel alongside a retired Indian Army Colonel who was advocating for war.

After she presented her views that India-Pakistan war is not in anybody's favour, she was summoned by KIIT's disciplinary committee and asked to submit her resignation.

Madhumita told Wire that she preferred to resign over having her freedom of speech curbed. 

"I simply said that war cannot be an option between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan since 70 years of hostilities have not achieved anything. It is the soldiers on both sides of the border who have to pay the price while the politicians and decorated Army officers take the credit," Madhumita said.

The Kanak News channel has taken down the episode in which Madhumita appeared on February 18 for unpopularity among the masses.

The management of the news channel even received threat calls and have clarified that they would not like to showcase any views that reflect poorly on the Indian Army especially when two soldiers who were killed hailed from Bhubaneshwar.

"It is not about our ideological stance, but we do not like to hurt the sentiments of a majority of our population, hence the show has not been put online," a TV channel official told Wire.

The KIIT, where Madhumita was teaching, is reportedly run by Biju Janata Dal MP Achyutha Samantha and Kanak TV channel is owned by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Soumya Patnaik.