Once again, in one more university of the country, state-sponsored violence cracks down on the general students. Today, police lathi-charged upon the students of Presidency University, Kolkata, while the students were peacefully protesting against the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee’s arrival to have a word with the Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia regarding a proposal for sponsoring an amount of 200 crores to the university.
As per the students of the university, after the VC agreed on turning Presidency to a petty project sponsored by the state, she summoned the Chief Minister to address the first year students and inform them how shamelessly she was buying the institution. The general students initiated sloganeering and protesting in the most democratic manner possible. When the CM’s car entered the university premises, the students were pushed forcibly to make way for her safe passage. Nobody was hurt in that process, but the protests went on.
It was the Derozio Hall where Mamata Banerjee delivered her speech and passed the cheques. She talked about initiating development of new campuses and better infrastructure. She left amidst protests. The unrest rose to a totally violent grade then. Numerous students were beaten up by the police. They were dragged mercilessly. Girls were manhandled. Their clothes were torn. A number of students were arrested. A few of them even had to be taken to the nearby medical college.
The students have strongly conveyed that they want a dialogue with the VC. They have also demanded her resignation. She took no necessary actions to safeguard the students of her institution. The only words that could come out of her were, “Whatever happened was unfortunate. I doubt if the students were really beaten. The people concerned about their academics were happy, perhaps. The convocation shall take place anyhow”.
The students have gheraoed her office and they won’t budge in until she resigns. They have called for boycotting their convocation. About 200 students from different institutions have gathered there.
Eleven months ago, we saw a similar scene at Jadavpur University. We have seen it at FTII and Pondicherry University. Time and again, authority and the state have used violence to oppress students and their general demands. Students have been injured. The state has kept mum when it came to justifying. In many cases, they have denied the accusations. Students get beaten up in their very campus where they come for education and learning. The authority expects a ” student-like” behaviour from them which does not include protesting against the unfair.
What type of an education imparts such knowledge which does not let you distinguish between the just and unjust and does not push you forward to raise your voice against the injustice? If the state supports educating young minds with such knowledge, then “Do not go gentle into that good night”.
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