Lust Stories, sex questions: What led JNU to sack Congress MP Bimol Akoijam

JNU’s Internal Committee found that Congress MP and professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam asked women students about their dating lives, made sexually explicit remarks, engaged in unwelcome physical contact and conducted late-night vivas at his residence.JNU dismissed Akoijam with immediate effect through an order dated October 9, signed by Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit. The university said it had followed due process and considered the available facts and the committee’s report.The committee said complainants’ accounts, witness testimonies and Akoijam’s own statements established a “recurring pattern of conduct inconsistent with the professional boundaries expected in a teacher-student relationship”.Akoijam had earlier rejected the allegations, accusing what he described as “racist schemers” of trying to damage his reputation through unverified allegations and lies. He taught at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems in JNU’s School of Social Sciences and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Manipur’s Inner Manipur constituency in 2024 on a Congress ticket.QUESTIONS ABOUT DATING, SEXUALLY EXPLICIT REMARKSThe committee found that Akoijam asked women students about their dating history and Valentine’s Day activities, even during classes, without any established academic relevance. According to the complaint reproduced in the report, his questions during vivas included: “Do you have a boyfriend?", What activities do you do with your boyfriend?”, “What is your opinion on affairs?”, and “What is your opinion on someone my age liking someone your age?”The committee said these questions created an intimidating, offensive and hostile learning environment.The complaint also alleged that he asked students the meaning of “quickie” and explained it as “quick sexual intercourse that can be done on top of a table”. It said he accompanied the explanation with hand gestures and called it “doing upar upar se”.The committee found that he used sexually explicit terminology and gestures unrelated to the academic purpose of the interaction, describing the remarks as sexually coloured.UNWELCOME CONTACT, ‘LUST STORIES’ SCREENINGThe committee recorded instances of women students being asked to hold Akoijam’s hand despite showing hesitation, as well as physical contact, including pinching without consent. It said the conduct crossed personal and professional boundaries.It also found that Lust Stories was screened in class without adequate advance information about its title or sexually explicit content. While it did not consider using the film inherently inappropriate, it said the circumstances of the screening created a hostile learning environment.Some women students reported discomfort over Akoijam’s unnecessary physical proximity. The complaint also alleged that his jokes were often sexist and disparaged Biharis and Bengalis.The committee recorded accounts of gender-based and regionally disparaging remarks, describing the conduct as inconsistent with professional standards in an academic environment.LATE-NIGHT VIVAS AT RESIDENCEThe report flagged inconsistent viva arrangements, including sessions at Akoijam’s office and residence, varying durations and the absence of a third person in some instances.One viva involving women students continued at his residence until approximately 11.40 pm, while some women students’ vivas lasted about an hour. The committee said these arrangements raised concerns about transparency, uniformity and professional boundaries.It also found that Akoijam drank with former students at his residence and maintained informal relationships beyond ordinary academic requirements. Considered alongside the other evidence, the committee said these interactions showed inadequate professional boundaries.The report quoted remarks at a farewell event in which Akoijam said he “made female students cry” during vivas and referred to keeping tissue boxes for them. According to the complaint, he compared them with Kangana Ranaut and other actresses in a mocking tone, implying that they were crybabies.The committee said the incidents, assessed together, established a pattern of sexually suggestive conduct and unwelcome contact that created a hostile learning environment for women students.- Ends