‘No one feels secure’: Jadavpur University ABVP ‘raid’ leaves students scarred, questioning security collapse

KOLKATA: The emblem is back on Jadavpur University’s Gate Number 4. Designed by pioneering artist, Nandalal Bose, it had been broken by a rightwing crowd attempting to scale the gate and enter the campus late at night, between August 19 and 20. The rest of the campus, especially its students, is still recovering from the attack.

“What we are really sad about is that no one feels secure here, especially the women,” said Anamika Das*, an undergraduate who is also a hostel resident on campus. She was in her hostel when the noise of rapidly-escalating violence reached her and other residents. On the night of August 19, the RSS and BJP-linked student organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and its supporters “raided” the campus . Attempts by left-leading student groups to resist the incursion led to violence, several students being hospitalised, damage to Bose’s iconic emblem, and now, reports the Telegraph, a police case against “unknown persons”.

Students question the total collapse of internal and external security. Several students alleged that the police were wholly ineffective that night. They allegedly arrived late and did nothing.

“We cannot simply accept what happened that day. It is absolutely unacceptable that the emblem was broken. We have got to know that an investigation is in progress,” said Biplab Chatterjee* a postgraduate student of electronics.

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Jadavpur University protest

Akash Roy* was expecting trouble. Earlier on August 19, there had been a scuffle at the general body meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU). Since then, he said, groups of ABVP-linked students were circulating on campus. Jadavpur’s BJP MLA, Sarbori Mukherjee promised a “tandav” – havoc – through the night. And there was one.

Hearing the sound of chaos, Roy and other students emerged from their hostels, spilling onto the campus grounds. The sounds had drawn other students out as well. As the JU violence escalated, they took refuge in Jadavpur University’s main administrative building, Aurobindo Bhavan or Aurobindo Hall.

Several students were injured, parts of the campus were vandalised and student posters, banners and other material were set on fire. Rishab Talukdar, a postgraduate student who doesn’t live on campus but very close to it, “suddenly heard the chaos and came out at night”. He asked, “How could so many people enter the premises? This is difficult to digest. What were the guards doing?”

Students who spoke to Careers360 alleged that people they believed were associated with BJP and ABVP entered the campus during the meeting. “FETSU’s student GB was going on. During that time, people associated with BJP entered the campus and remained there through the day, roaming here and there,” said Roy. He alleged that an engineering student called Nikhil Das, affiliated to the ABVP, had called the left groups “Naxals” and warned that they would be taught a lesson.

According to Roy, the situation was brought under control then but escalated later. “Initially the students of Jadavpur dealt with it in a calm manner. But later they started physically harming the FETSU students. The FETSU students were kicked, beaten up and threatened that they would not be allowed move out of the gate,” said Chinmay Biswas*, another student.

Jadavpur University gate with the emblem restored

The student further claimed that as the miscreants attempted to leave the campus, some students were assaulted outside the gate and several eventually required hospitalisation.

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Jadavpur University: At Aurobindo Hall

Left to fend for themselves, Roy and other students, took refuge in Aurobindo Hall. He described the atmosphere as “frightening”.

“Around 11 pm, there was chaos again. I was in Aurobindo Hall. We moved out and saw around 100 people approaching Aurobindo Hall. They had sticks, stones and flags and were shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and anti-Jadavpur University slogans,” Roy said.

JU Protest: Abuses and rape threats

Biswas and Roy both also alleged that women students were subjected to threats and abuses.

“All the girl students were hurled rape and murder threats. They used gestures and words,” they alleged, adding that media personnel present at the spot did not report the university students’ experience accurately.

Das said the women felt particularly vulnerable because the university's internal and external security arrangements appeared inadequate.

JU administration's response

Das said the VC did not visit the spot when the violence occurred and questioned the administration's handling of the situation. “We had a demand from the university that it save its students, but exactly the opposite happened,” she said.

Bhattacharya waited over a day to file an FIR – a police complaint – while JU students have cases filed against them sooner.

“We demanded that the students who were trying to save themselves be taken care of, should be saved by the university, it is the responsibility of the university. We demand that an investigation committee be formed and that the report of the committee be made public within seven days,” Das said.

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“What we have realised is that the space outside is not at all secure now,” Roy said, and Biswas agreed.

They said students were planning campaigns demanding stronger security arrangements and accountability from the university administration. “We have decided that we will run campaigns to ensure that students are secure here. We will also see that Jadavpur retains its status,” Roy said.

On August 20, Bhattacharya described the incident as “undesirable” and said the university would constitute an inquiry committee to establish what happened. He said different ideologies have always co-existed on the Jadavpur University campus, but added that “the law of the land should be applicable on campus” and that there should be adequate security. Entry of outsiders after dusk is already restricted and the university will take enhanced steps to strengthen campus security if such incidents recur. He also said the university may have to reconsider the question of a permanent police outpost on campus, despite earlier reservations about it being inconsistent with the university's culture.