‘We’re being crushed’: Jadavpur University students demand election, accountability after minister car fiasco

KOLKATA: A student allegedly run over by West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu’s vehicle on March 1 has ignited fresh protests at Jadavpur University, which has been facing long-simmering tensions over student union elections, financial mismanagement, security concerns, and alleged governmental interference in campus affairs.

The minister had visited the Jadavpur University campus on March 1 for an event of the West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA), a pro-Trinamool teachers’ body, which he was presiding over. Students had gathered to demand a discussion on the delayed election and encircled Basu’s vehicle when he started leaving. But his car allegedly accelerated through the crowd and left.

One student, Indranuj Roy , complained that Basu’s car hit him and left him injured and that he was admitted to a hospital.

Students barricaded campus entrances, launched hunger strikes, and filed a police complaint against the minister demanding his resignation, immediate elections and accountability from an administration they claim has abandoned them.

The confrontation marks a major escalation in the university’s four-year-long battle for democratic representation, with no student election held since 2020.

JU students demand a voice

“We wanted a three-party meeting between the government, the university authorities, and the students,” says Arohon Bal, a student activist. “The union elections are our primary demand. Without it we have no legitimate platform to express our grievances.”

An FIR has been lodged against the state education minister , his driver Rehan Molla, and Trinamool Congress leader Om Prakash Mishra following the incident.

“It was nothing abnormal for a person to come near his wheels, but how can the car run over the student?” Bal questions. “Instead of listening to us, we are being crushed — literally and figuratively.”

The student who was injured has been discharged from the hospital, but the outrage among his peers refuses to die down.

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Jadavpur University: An institute in crisis

Bal said Jadavpur University is currently grappling with a massive financial crisis, raising concerns about its future. However, students continue to excel academically.

Talking about the financial situation of the university, Partha Pratim Roy, professor and a faculty member of the Jadavpur University Teachers Association, said: “In the last financial year 2023 -24, the deficit was Rs 35 crore in maintenance (other than salary). In 2022-23 and 2023-24, it is about Rs 60 crore in total. This money should have been given by the state government. But they haven't. This financial year 2024-25, the deficit will probably be more as the government has released even less funds compared to last year.”

“Our university has received an ‘A’ rating from NAAC. Our ranking remains high,” Bal emphasised. “It’s not that students here are wasting time. We are excelling despite financial neglect. Why is the government not taking responsibility?”

Many students feel that the financial crisis is symptomatic of a larger problem — government apathy toward higher education. “If the minister cannot accommodate the students, the teachers, and those who need to be part of the education system, why is he holding that position?” Bal asked.

Security concerns, administration’s role

Security concerns have also taken centrestage in the Jadavpur University protests.

“The main issue for students right now is security, and neither the authorities nor the state government is looking into it,” said Saptak Mistri, a second-year undergraduate student. “This is not just about Jadavpur University. This is happening in Calcutta University and other universities across the country.”

Mistri also highlighted the media’s failure. “Even the media is aligned with the government, be it the state or the centre. If we protest, we are branded Naxalites. Ragging incidents keep happening, and political goons barge into our campus unchecked. This has become the norm. What bigger example can it be if we fail to remember Swapnadeep Kundu, the first-year student who died by suicide last year in the university’s hostel,” he said.

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Jadavpur University: Lack of leadership

Adding to the students’ grievances is the perceived inaccessibility of university authorities, particularly vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta .

Gupta, who was hospitalised amid the ongoing crisis, has now been discharged. “A student who fractured his leg on March 1 has already joined the protests. Why can’t Gupta address us, even virtually?” asked Saptak Ganguli, another second-year student.

“We want Bhaskar Gupta to talk to us,” said Ganguli. “We want everything to be peaceful, but he is not meeting us.”

Senior university officials have indicated their willingness to request a council meeting to discuss student elections, but the final decision rests with the state government. For students, the bureaucratic delay only adds to their frustration.

“The only way forward is through dialogue, transparency, and action,” said Mistri. “We are not asking for privileges, we are asking for our rights.”