Deal swiftly but sensitively with JU protests
Instead of brushing the matter under the carpet, the Government of West Bengal must acknowledge that the protest movement by students of Jadavpur University has gained serious proportions, and take immediate steps to restore normalcy. The Government’s decision to form a panel to look into the molestation case that lies at the heart of the protests is a step in the right direction. But it needs to do more to defuse the crisis in a way that satisfies all stakeholders. Insensitive comments by members of the ruling party, for example, will only make things worse. A case in point is Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's insinuation that a recent ban on alcohol and cigarettes on campus is the real reason for the protests. That Mr Banerjee is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew has only added fuel to fire. Moreover, such defensive posturing by the State Government is unnecessary and, indeed, self-defeating. Ms Banerjee and her Government need to send a clear message that they understand the protesters' concerns and are serious about addressing them. A good confidence-building measure will be an official investigation into last week's police crackdown on student protesters on the JU campus. The police action turned the public mood against the Government and moved the protest beyond the JU campus onto the streets of Kolkata. On Sunday, an estimated 30,000 demonstrators, including students and teachers from other universities, civil society leaders, young professionals and even film actors from the State, marched through the city, demanding Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarty’s resignation.
On September 17, after students gheraoed his office, demanding that the molestation case be taken to its logical conclusion, Mr Chakrabarty had called in the police. He was worried that the situation could turn into a major law and order crisis, endangering the lives of students as well his own. His fears were not entirely without merit. Reportedly, heavily armed anti-social elements had infiltrated the protests and were instigating students to turn violent. While this may seem like a convenient excuse by the authorities, who have been accused of high-handedness, let us not forget that in the past such protest movements have turned deadly. In fact, a JU Vice Chancellor, Gopal Chandra Sen, was killed on campus at the peak of the Naxalbari movement in the 1970s. That murder was surely on the mind of Mr Chakrabarty on the night of September 17 when, under attack from the mob, he requested police assistance to bring the situation under control. Whether the police then acted in an appropriate manner by rounding up the armed miscreants or used unnecessary force against unarmed students who were supposedly protesting peacefully, must be determined by an investigation panel. Either way, those who escalated the situation, especially on the night of September 17, must be held accountable.