Crisis deepens as professors join students’ hunger strike
KOLKATA: The Jadavpur University (JU) crisis deepened on Sunday as students continued with their hunger strike on third consecutive day and professors from more departments opted out of the admission process in protest of the authority’s decision to scrap the admission tests.
Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee paid a visit to Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who is also the chancellor of the university on Sunday. From there, he went straight to the residence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Chatterjee did not reveal what transpired at the meetings but ruling party leaders familiar with the affair confirmed that the situation at JU was discussed at both the meetings.
“We have reported everything to the Governor, and are waiting for his advice for make further move,” registrar Chiranjeeb Bhattacharjee, who met students on Sunday afternoon, told the media.
Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association, has supported the students’ movement and has also staged demonstrations. On Sunday, they expressed concerns over the deteriorating health of the students on hunger strike.
On Friday, 20 students launched an indefinite hunger strike seeking recall of the Executive Council (EC)’s decision to scrap admission tests. Traditionally, the admission to six humanities departments used to be conducted through admission tests, while board exam results were the sole parameter for admission in other departments. This year, the EC decided to scrap admission test in order to bring uniformity in admission process.
“There is no question of withdrawing the hunger strike or the sit-in demonstration until our demands are met,” said Somashree Choudhury, chairperson of the Arts Faculty Students’ Union.
The engineering faculty students’ union has joined the movement in solidarity with the arts students.
In New Delhi, renowned historian and Trinamool Congress MP from Jadavpur, Sugato Bose said, “I have always said I believe in autonomy of institutions. In this case too, it is the Jadavpur University authorities which should take the decision. Opinions of the teachers and students should matter most.”