Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
The impasse at Jadavpur University in Kolkata continued on Monday, the day the acting vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta had called a meeting with the student organisations to restore normality on campus.
The meeting called at 11.30am could not be held with the students protesting against the presence of Om Prakash Mishra, a professor in the department of international relations, on campus.
At 12noon Monday when Mishra, against whom an FIR has been lodged in the Jadavpur police station over the March 1 fracas at the campus, arrived at the university gate, the students would not let him enter.
“Please let me in. I should be allowed to enter my office,” Mishra, who was earlier vice-chancellor at the University of North Bengal, pleaded with the students.
Mishra was later escorted to his office by police in plainclothes. Their identity cards could be seen.
The protesters blocked the door to Mishra’s office with posters like “Do you want to assault us again sir?” and “Have you come to assault us again sir!!”
Mishra later denied that he had called the cops to the campus.
“I did not call the police. I had informed the administration about my scheduled visit today. I want to speak to my students and colleagues,” he said.
The Left-backed student organisations protested the deployment of police on campus, while the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) welcomed the move.
“The Trinamool Congress unit has no problems with police in the university if someone needs security,” a student leader said.
The JU’s TMCP unit presented a deputation to the vice-chancellor Gupta demanding internal investigation for the assault on education minister Bratya Basu, installation of CCTV cameras on the university campus, and taking cognisance of anti-India slogans.
On Sunday, the varsity authorities had put up an announcement for the meeting to be attended by the registrar, the pro-vice chancellor, the deans of faculties and the dean of students along with representatives from the student organisations affiliated with the Trinamool, the Left and ultra-Left parties.
Trouble erupted on the campus on the afternoon of March 1, when minister Basu, also the president of the pro-Trinamool WBCUPA (West Bengal College and University Professors Association), visited the campus for a meeting.
Students belonging to the Left and ultra-Left parties held a demonstration demanding immediate elections to the students’ councils in state-run universities and colleges. As matters went out of hand, the minister’s vehicle tried to exit from the campus. Two students, Indranuj Roy and Abhinab Basu, sustained injuries.
The cops had registered seven FIRs, including two suo motu ones, against the students. On the direction of Calcutta high court FIRs have been registered against minister Basu, Mishra, a Trinamool leader, and Basu’s driver Rehan Molla.
The cops had on Sunday quizzed Molla. The police had interrogated Mishra on Saturday.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of the Calcutta high court had asked the state to file a report on the next hearing of the case.
BJP lawmaker from Asansol Agnimitra Paul condemned the gherao of Mishra. “I want the students to study and not engage in divisive dialogues. How JNU has been calmed down, so will be JU,” she remarked.
The JU students are unhappy with the classes not being held over the unrest on campus. In 2024, the varsity had ranked 17 in a list drawn by National Institutional Ranking Framework.
