The four-month-long Jadavpur face-off finally came to an end with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday declaring that Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarty — who was held responsible for a midnight police crackdown on students agitating against alleged molestation of a girl student —would tender his resignation. The VC resigned soon after.
The fast-unto-death agitation launched by the students demanding immediate resignation of Chakrabarty had reached its sixth day on Monday.
Earlier, the Chief Minister made a dramatic entry into the campus even as the news of three hunger-striking students falling seriously ill necessitating their urgent hospitalisation spread. “Her entry was unscheduled and impromptu and the police had no clue about it,” officials said adding how the students clapped and welcomed her escorting her to the Pro-VC's chamber.
Even as she announced the decision the whole campus broke into defeating applause while the students cheered the Chief Minister. Known for his proximity to the ruling Trinamool Congress Chakrabarty had refused to resign all these days. He was however not available for his comments.
The Monday's development was promptly interpreted as a victory of the combined opposition in the State. "Who knows! This could well be the beginning of the downfall of the Trinamool in Bengal" Sujan Chakrabarty former CPI(M) MP said.
The students' agitation at Jadavpur University one of the country's premier institutions had hit international headlines after the police lathi-charged the agitating students gheraoing the VC. "Now I appeal to the students to withdraw their hunger strike. I feel for them and I know how it feels there" the Chief Minister said amid loud applause.
The JU incident had sent ripples across the country and even in many universities in Europe triggering protest rallies in Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere. Things reached the crescendo when the students took out massive rallies in Kolkata and boycotted the 59th annual convocation.
It reached such a pass that the agitation took the shape of a Trinamool-versus-opposition affair.