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THE utterly shameless and pathetic MONSTER OF A MAN: USP Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Chandra cancelled seminar on 'Debt and Fiscal Sustainability' when he found Professor Wadan Narsey was on Panel!

10/10/2015

14 Comments

 
PictureNarsey
USP Vice Chancellor massacres academic freedom, again

By Professor Wadan Narsey


On the 6th October, Dr Neelesh Gounder (Senior Lecturer in Economics at USP wrote to me:

“Our school is planning to organize a seminar on “Debt, bonds and Deficit” on 14 October. We would like to invite you as the key speaker. I understand you are in Melbourne now. The school is willing to pay your airfare. Please let me know if you are available”.

Also on the panel were going to be a Ministry of Finance representative, and monetary economist  Dr TK Jayaraman of Fiji National University, and Dr Gounder himself.

Given that the topic was of great importance to Fiji and the public, and I was already in Fiji, I agreed to take part.

On the 10th October, ominously the day on which Fiji celebrates its “independence”, a distraught and apologetic Dr Gounder rang me up and told me that the seminar would not be going ahead and could give no further explanation.

He simply wrote: “This is to inform you that the School is not going ahead with the seminar as planned. My apologies for any convenience. Thank you once again for agreeing to be one of the panelists”.

Alternative sources told me that the USP Vice Chancellor (Professor Rajesh Chandra) had “refused to give permission” for the panel discussion to be held.

Professor Chandra had also refused the personal request from the Dean of Faculty of Business and Economics (Professor Franco Gandolfi), for the seminar to go ahead.

Why would Professor Rajesh Chandra stop a seminar of such public interest?

Why does a Vice Chancellor of a university have to “give permission” before the Economics Department can hold an academic panel discussion with Fiji citizens taking part?

This is in the same month that an expatriate Professor Cheryl Saunders was allowed to give a public lecture at USP on “Implementing the Constitution of Fiji: challenges and opportunities”. Presentation to a pubic discussion hosted by the USP School of Government, 7 October 2015.

To understand why the USP Vice Chancellor allows an expatriate professor to give a public presentation at USP, while a Fiji citizen Professor Of Economics is censored, the reader may examine the contents of Professor Saunders’ presentation here:

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/professor-cheryl-saunders-on-the-implementation-of-constitution-of-fiji

This presentation was about the 2013 Constitution which has been thrust down the throats of the Fiji population by the military Bainimarama Government without any popular approval or legal legitimacy, having trashed their own Yash Ghai Draft Constitution which had been popularly contributed to.

With no discussion or even mention of the above sorry record, Professor Saunders focused on the problem of “implementation” of the 2013 Constitution.

She left the average member of the public to read between the lines of her contorted academic presentation, if they could and if they had the patience that our leading legal beagles apparently have in abundance.

The USP Vice Chancellor (Professor Rajesh Chandra) also knew of course where his bread was buttered, since also on the panel was the powerful Attorney General and Minister of Finance (Mr Aiyaz Khaiyum) who makes decisions on the funding of USP.

Also on the constitution panel, was lawyer Jon Apted, whose bread is also buttered by USP, as Professor Rajesh Chandra well knows, having used his legal services, often, in ejecting “undesirable” academics from USP.

To better understand why Professor Saunders is perfectly acceptable to Professor Chandra, while Professor Narsey’s views on the recent Bainimarama Government’s refinancing of the $500 million bond issue is not, readers may read my presentation to a USP panel discussion in 2011 (a bygone era of academic freedom at USP?) on the implications of the original bond issue for Fiji citizens’ welfare:

https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/the-bond-issue-when-failure-is-called-success-while-they-dig-our-hole-deeper-2011blogs/

Readers may also read a previous occasion when Professor Rajesh Chandra also stopped Professor Wadan Narsey from being the chief guest and speaking at USP on World Press Freedom Day, organized by the USP School of Journalism.

https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/usp-censorship-continues-world-press-freedom-day/

Readers may also read here, how Professor Rajesh Chandra shamelessly became a stooge for the Bainimarama Government and Aiyaz Khaiyum in getting rid of me from USP.
https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/creeping-totalitarianism-at-usp-an-open-letter-to-usp-council-and-member-governments-15-may-2014/.

Read here how Professor Rajesh Chandra got rid of Professor Biman Prasad:
https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/flawed-appointment-processes-at-usp-letter-to-the-editor-30-may-2014/

Read here how Professor Rajesh Chandra got rid of Professor Susan Kelly:
https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/some-usp-investigations-quick-off-the-mark-letter-to-editor-sent-30-june-2014/

Professor Rajesh Chandra continues to dig deeper the grave for academic freedom at USP, with no challenge from any of the senior USP administrators or even the School of Government, now surely also an oxymoron, like many others at The University of the South Pacific.

USP Council Members also continue their pleasant biennial visits to Council Meetings around the Pacific, with nary a thought for the continued loss of academic freedom at the “premier” university of the Pacific Islands.

Welcome to Bainimarama-Khaiyum's FIJI and their Indo-Fijian MONSTERS

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Rajesh Chandra: Power Hungry

"Why does a Vice Chancellor of a university have to “give permission” before the Economics Department can hold an academic panel discussion with Fiji citizens taking part? This is in the same month that an expatriate Professor Cheryl Saunders was allowed to give a public lecture at USP on “Implementing the Constitution of Fiji: challenges and opportunities”. Presentation to a pubic discussion hosted by the USP School of Government, 7 October 2015...The USP Vice Chancellor (Professor Rajesh Chandra) also knew of course where his bread was buttered, since also on the panel was the powerful Attorney General and Minister of Finance (Mr Aiyaz Khaiyum) who makes decisions on the funding of USP. Also on the constitution panel, was lawyer Jon Apted, whose bread is also buttered by USP, as Professor Rajesh Chandra well knows, having used his legal services, often, in ejecting “undesirable” academics from USP."

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14 Comments
Tomasi Koroi
11/10/2015 01:16:58 am

If this is true, then I would disagree and disapprove of Professor Rajesh on this one. I have always supported him. But I expect him to stand firm for academic freedom. The price may be high. Dr. Ganesh paid this price when he stood firm for academic freedom and refused to budge to the fancy-full whims of the powers. I urge Dr. Rajesh to remain solid and firm on academic freedom. I also wish that Dr. Wadan's source is incorrect and that Dr. Rajesh had nothing to do with this cancellation. Loss of academic freedom will do untold damage to the reputation of our university and to Dr. Rajesh himself.

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Chiku
11/10/2015 01:19:07 am

The population of not only " laalchi kutha" and chor but shameless people have also increased greatly since the Bainimarama - Khaiyum unlawful rise to power. In the last category - the shameless one - you have so called respectable members of Fiji high society with no spin and no moral compass. Professor Rajesh Chandra the USP vice chancellor falls in this last category.

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Charlie Charlie
11/10/2015 02:22:39 am

That's the sad reality of the new Fiji. Discard capable people and embrace xxxx polishers. Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Indians, Indonesians etc all have a place in the new Fiji except for capable Fijians who are not kaiyums xxx polishers. Keep up the good work Dr. Narsey. You are the best academic Fiji.

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Socho
11/10/2015 02:36:09 am

Now the student body and the staff body at the USP will come out to protest this blatant violation of academic freedom , and public discourse.
But don't hold your breath for it!,
The USP community has become a disgrace.

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rajend naidu
11/10/2015 02:55:28 am

Editor,
Man of Principles
In his letter to the Canberra Times (9/10 ) Don Sephton writes " I nearly choked on my breakfast cereal when I read H. Ronald's words : I hope Abbot stays in public life as we need characters and people of principles to keep the bastards honest ( Letters Oct 8).
Abbot a person of principles?
Hardly" and Sephton goes on to cite the many instances when Abbot was anything but.
There are many like Abbot who can hardly be considered a man of principles when in positions of power.
Gordon Fyfe ( ct 9/10) tells us "... in position of power, Abbot came across as a bully. Now he no longer has that power, he comes across as petulant".
Again it is not uncommon for people in positions of power - and the USP vice chancellor is clearly a man of considerable power - to act the bully.
It is a shame when that happens in a university environment.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
Sydney

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Alby
11/10/2015 05:01:21 am

I'm afraid Mr Narsey has to accept everything is not about him.

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Dekho
11/10/2015 11:13:33 am

What about the suppression of academic freedom at the USP which this case highlights ?
Have you Alby any bright views to share?

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Alby
11/10/2015 09:04:09 pm

If you read the article, including the headline, there is nothing there to support that it was cancelled due to Waden Narsey's possible participation.

Suppression of academic freedom is another matter.

Dekho
11/10/2015 11:35:55 pm

So why was the public forum cancelled and by whom?
You have read the article but you have not understood its key point which is the suppression of academic freedom by a vice chancellor who is known as a Bainimarama- Khaiyum regime " arse- licker"( see comment by Justice below ).

Chiku
11/10/2015 05:53:17 am

What this apparent censorship symbolises is the state of the current political culture at USP. It is a culture of conformism to the diktats of the Bainimarama - Khaiyum regime. That culture is propagated by the regime stooges at the universities in Fiji, the mainstream media , and the judiciary and other institutions of society both State and civil .
In such a cultural cesspool it is alright to listen to bullshit and even applaud it but it is not alright to listen to or engage in a frank public debate on issues that matter to the now " equal political citizenry".

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rajend naidu
11/10/2015 07:52:18 am

Editor,
In his letter titled ' Free Speech ' in the Fiji Times 5/10 Richard Naidu makes the concluding remark that " The Government needs to get a grip on what democracy is. It cannot just order people to stop saying what they want to say, unless it has a legal right to do so ".
That of course is true in a true democracy. Question is has Fiji become a true democracy yet after over 8 years of dictatorial rule?
Under dictatorial rule the Powerholders are not constrained by any legal right to do what they want to do including stoping people from saying anything they don't want to hear or the public to hear..
The fact that this continues to happen demonstrates that dictatorial rule is not yet fully ended. It has not ended at the USP if this censorship by the VC is an indication.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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justice
11/10/2015 10:23:06 am

Suppression of academic freedom is not new at USP. Rajesh Chandra is an arse licker of bai-kai. Rajesh Chandra has published far less research papers than Wadan Narsey. Wadan by virtue of being an economist has more research followers than Rajesh Chandra whose area is linguist and geography. Whoever opens their mouth at USP is silent by Rajesh by being kicked out. Rajesh is also appointed on sugar research unit as chair and this position is given to him by virtue of being an arse licker. Rajesh has done his licking job pretty well therefore being rewarded. Academic freedom should not be suppressed as qualitative analysis of prof wadan is very simple to understand and any layman can conclude how the politicians manupulate the economic data to suit their agenda and gain political mileage. Rajesh Chandra knew very well that prof wadan's analysis is definitely going to open eyes of the educated general public of Fiji therefore by cancelling this forum would enable Rajesh Chandra conceal the truth as he is just a puppet of bai-kai and nothing more in this new Fiji.

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Krishna
11/10/2015 10:20:18 pm

why is the economics department silent? seems the staff of economic department agree with VC

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Bahuki
13/10/2015 08:10:04 am

That VC at USP clearly has no idea what Narsey's capabilities are since anything he writes about is the actual truth about how freedom of speech and expression is badly muzzled apart from the obvious flaws of the current government.

Reminds me of one particular public lecture that was held at USP based on West Papua independence struggles that the Indonesian guest speakers threw in some red taping to deter the students from grilling them with a barrage of tough questions in relations to WP civil rights.

Talk about the ever-prevalence of suppression of academic freedom where students may find themselves (wrongfully) expelled from the university if they dare defy that order.

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