Jadavpur University officiating VC, EC members stage dharna over 'unruly behaviour' by students

KOLKATA: In an unprecedented move, Jadavpur University's officiating Vice Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau, Registrar Snehamanju Basu and other members of the Executive Council staged a dharna on the institute's campus to protest an incident of "unruly behaviour" by students.

The officials of the university were seen performing their day-to-day duties from the protest site on a ground outside Aurobindo Bhavan on Thursday after they commenced their stir late on Wednesday night.

Their ongoing protest was against an alleged incident of sloganeering and verbal abuses by a section of students in the hallway of Aurobindo Bhavan outside the room where the Executive Council (EC) was discussing the matter of keeping hostels separate for freshers and seniors in the wake of the death of an undergraduate student due to ragging in August.

The agitating students had demanded that they should have a say in the decision of shortlisting students for allotment to hostels, which the EC has not accepted. The meeting had to end mid-way on Wednesday evening due to the "unruly behaviour", a university official said.

"We have launched a 'satyagraha' on the open ground in front of Aurobindo Bhavan in protest against the unruly behaviour of a section of the students. We had tried to reason with them but failed," Sau told PTI. "Many EC members have health problems. We will decide on the future course of action after talking to others. I am discharging my responsibilities from here," he said, while signing a document sitting on the ground. English Department HoD Manojit Mondal said he was at the dharna site last night but took a class on Thursday morning.

"We will discharge our responsibilities and also protest in a peaceful manner," he said. State Education Minister Bratya Basu condemned the incident of "unruly behaviour" by students. "We don't have anything against peaceful student movements but we don't support the conduct of some students against teachers. Use of abusive words against teachers is not justified," he told reporters. Students part of the incident could not be contacted.