The Jadavpur University molestation case and the students’ agitation in its aftermath took a curious turn with the ruling Trinamool Congress resorting to a kick-and-policy by setting up a team of enquiry led by Calcutta University Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das and organising a rally of its own students’ wing — the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad — countering the massive long march of agitating students on Saturday.
This even as the JU students hardened their stance refusing to resume classes despite an appeal made by the Registrar in pursuance of their demand for the resignation of JU Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarty and lining up larger agitation in days to come.
While the Bengal Government on Monday announced a 5-member committee to enquire the alleged sexual assault on a girl student that triggered a larger movement and a subsequent midnight lathi-charge by the police reportedly at the behest of Chakrabarty, the general body meeting of the agitating students said they would step up the movement which would include agitation by former students in 100 cities of the world and a convention of the civil society.
“Our ex-students would organise worldwide rallies covering 100 cities,” an agitating student said.
Apart from making efforts to break the students’ solidarity through a counter rally of its own students’ wing TMCP and setting up a “belated” enquiry which the JU students rejected as “an effort too little and too late” the ruling party got the father of the JU molestation victim to walk in its own procession. He was also made to appeal to the agitating students to resume classes “as I have faith in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee whom I met today and who assured me of proper action against the culprits.”
Curiously, the same person had earlier demanded the Vice Chancellor’s resignation. His statement changed within 24 hours of Education Minister Partho Chatterjee visiting his residence along with SD Panda the TMCP chief who has been in the news for his alleged notorious ways.
There was no word from the Government on the police lathi-charge on unarmed students leaving three of them grievously injured. Meanwhile, the students both former and present continued their protest in unique way with Ahana a 2009 batch Gold Medalist and currently a research scholar at Chicago University personally meeting the Registrar to surrender her medal to the University.
“There is no question of withdrawing our agitation or resuming classes till the VC who invited the police and assaulted us on the fateful night,” said Nandini, a student activist, adding the students would again march to the lal Bazaar police headquarters on Thursday to register their protest.