Controversy erupts as dance and ramp walk follows teacher’s funeral at Women’s University, Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur: In an unexpected turn of events, a day after the demise of Shanti Mukta Barla, a respected teacher in the sports department at Women’s University due to a road accident on January 8, controversy surrounds the institution. Despite the mourning period, reports suggest that instead of honoring the late teacher, a dance and ramp walk event took place in the university’s auditorium, sparking criticism and condemnation.
Shanti Mukta Barla had made significant contributions to garnering recognition for Women’s University on a national and international level in the realm of sports. However, rather than observing a day of mourning, the university allegedly hosted a dance and ramp walk event in the name of the “Jharkhand Biggest Fest” on Tuesday.

Several student organizations, including the AJSU Student Union, have strongly criticized the university’s decision. Hemant Pathak, the Kolhan President of AJSU Student Union, expressed disbelief at how an educational institution could overlook human values and proceed with such festivities when a teacher’s funeral pyre had not even cooled down. Pathak emphasized that Shanti Mukta Barla’s death was an irreparable loss for the university, and the decision to organize celebratory events instead of mourning was unacceptable.
Upon intervention by AJSU Student Union leaders, the program was reportedly halted. The AJSU Student Union has announced plans to visit the university, meet with concerned officials, and, if necessary, lodge a complaint with the Governor if a satisfactory explanation is not provided.

In response to the controversy, a university spokesperson clarified that permission had not been granted for the dance and ramp walk event. The spokesperson attributed the misunderstanding to a dance audition organized by RVS Academy, which was held at Jamshedpur Women’s University on Tuesday. The spokesperson stressed that the university was in a state of mourning following Professor Shanti Mukta Barla’s passing, and therefore, no permission had been given for any such program on that day.