A delegation of teachers, employees and students of Visva-Bharati on Tuesday met interim vice-chancellor Sanjoy Kumar Mallik with the demand to resume Pous Mela and other campus events that had stopped during the tenure of former VC Bidyut Chakrabarty.
Mallik assented to the demand, protesters said later.
Over 100 people — comprising teachers, students and employees — gathered in front of the varsity's central office on Tuesday afternoon and chanted slogans. A 12-member delegation later met acting VC Mallik.
"We have three major demands. Resume Pous Mela, evict Bidyut Chakrabarty as he is occupying the VC's official bungalow illegally and withdraw punitive actions against a few teachers, students and employees (taken during Chakrabarty's tenure)," said Somnath Sow, a student leader of Visva-Bharati and one of the organisers of the protest.
Varsity employee Debabrata Sarkar, the president of Visva-Bharati Karmi Sabha, said Mallik assured them that Pous Mela would resume.
"The acting VC assured us that Pous Mela and other events that former VC Bidyut Chakrabarty had stopped would be resumed. We are happy with his assurance," said Sarkar.
Visva-Bharati has also started its process of appointing a permanent VC. The varsity held its meeting of the executive council where a member of the search committee was approved.
A source said the executive committee nominated Kumud Sharma, a professor of Hindi at Delhi University and vice-president of Sahitya Academy.
"There will be three members in the search committee. The first person has been selected from the executive council. Another will be selected from the varsity's court. The committee chair will be nominated by India's President, also the visitor of Visva-Bharati," the source added.