Students pause protest want vc to quit

Students of Jadavpur University take part in a rally 'March to Governor 
House' in Kolkata on Saturday to protest against the police excesses 
over their agitation  against molestation of the university girl. The rally
 started from Nandan to Mayo Road. (Photo: Subham Dutta ) 

September 21, 2014 : Citing “moral support” from Bengal Governor K N Tripathi and his assurance to look into the matter, the students of Jadavpur University on Saturday called off their sit-in demonstration from the Mayo Road in central Kolkata. However, after a meeting with the Governor which lasted for an hour, the students said that the movement would continue and classes would not resume until university Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti resigns.

The protesting students, who were joined by students of several other colleges and universities, academicians, artistes and celebrities, earlier brought traffic to a standstill as they continued to demand the V-C’s, pro V-C’s and the Registrar’s resignation. They then marched towards the Governor House.

The rally was restricted by the police near Mayo Road crossing as section 144 was imposed on the area surrounding the Governor House. An eight-member team of JU students were escorted by the police to meet with Governor Tripathi.

After an hour-long meeting, the students were escorted back to the Mayo Road crossing where the sit-in demonstration was in progress. Chiranjeet Ghosh, a student leader of the university, and who was among the team that met the Governor, said, “We are withdrawing the demonstration for now. But we will hold a meeting on Monday in the university premises. Governor has expressed his moral support to us and assured us that he would look into the matter. He further told us that he would launch a probe and would take a decision. He has asked for two days’ time.”

Ghosh also said the team “explained why we were agitating”. “We also gave him the CDs containing the police action. The CDs will speak for us and make it clear whether it was us who manhandled the police or if it was they who beats us. Governor sir also appealed to us to resume normalcy in the university. He called our V-C and the Commissioner of Police.”

Earlier in the day, speaking to the media at the sidelines of a programme, Governor Tripathi said, “You know it better. What is going on in the university and what is not, who all are responsible.” The Governor then spoke of a scheduled meeting with the students later at 5 pm, after which he said he will “know (what) the matter (is).”

Celebrities including Swastika Mukherjee, filmmaker Suman Mukherjee, actor Chandan Sen, filmmaker Anjan Dutta, among others, marched along with the students. “Even if I was an illiterate, I would have joined this rally. This is for our dignity,” said Swastika Mukherjee. Filmmaker Suman Mukherjee said, “We are today walking for the cause they have taken up.”