Jadavpur University continued to boil for the second day on Friday with the students refusing to lift the ceaseless gherao of Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das and his executive Council following a State Government circular replacing political students’ unions with apolitical students’ councils in State educational institutions.
With the VC washing his hands off things saying he had no power to change the circular and the State Education Minister iterating: “the circular will not be withdrawn come what may,” the students threatened to go for a “bigger struggle this time outside the university campus.” With violent clashes — mostly among the Trinamool Congress Controlled student bodies — over the booty that goes with handling college unions ruining academic environment in the State, forcing students to flee Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed the new circular “to bring things back on track by depoliticising the unions,” sources said.
The students of JU one of premier educational institutions of the country said “because the Trinamool Congress cannot control its own students’ wings — following in the footsteps of their leaders — they have brought these black laws.”
The VC however said he had nothing to do with the new circulars. “I am not connected with the new laws as it is the matter of the State Government.” However the students wanted him to condemn the new rules as “undemocratic.”
Suvam Sarkar a student activist said, “JU has been a premier institution showing best of performances in research, other academic activities notwithstanding active participation of students in political activities. The new rules will take away the democratic place for the students and pave way for Trinamool Congress to grab that place through so-called apolitical students’ council. This is unacceptable and our agitation will go to bigger level.”
On the logic of keeping the VC gheraoed for 36 hours the students said they had not gheraoed him. “We are just sitting in front of his office. Any one can come out of the office and go away over us.”