Outsider whiff in agitation

The agitating students at the engineering college. Picture by Biplab Basak

TT, Jalpaiguri: The impasse at Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College continued for the sixth day on Wednesday as representatives of the apolitical students' union admitted that they had failed to persuade the agitators to withdraw the strike.

The failure, coupled with some other activities in which a section of the agitating students indulged, prompted police and intelligence officials to suspect "incitation by outsiders".

"The agitation is not under our control. We had proposed to sit for negotiations and take initiatives to end the stalemate. Most of the senior students, who are in the movement, are not ready to listen to us," said," Pritam Sarkar, the secretary of the ' union.

Sources in the college said as the union was not affiliated to any student outfit of political parties, it had become a tough task to make the agitators listen to the proposal for talks.

"We really don't understand what makes them continue the strike. The administration and even the tourism minister time and again mentioned that their allegations would be probed by a committee. But their nonchalant attitude has left us suspecting whether there is truth in the allegation of the first year students," said a senior student who is not active in the agitation.

Some first year students have filed complaints with the police, alleging ragging, assault and intimidation by seniors. The accused students want to convolute the situation to escape action and hence, launched the agitation, the freshers have said.

With the movement going on, a senior police officer said they were trying to find out whether outsiders were instigating the seniors

"The agitators have damaged properties at the college, disconnected electricity and drinking water supply and prevented people from entering the premises and even spoke foul of female police officers. The manner in which they are into the the agitation, right from sloganeering to putting posters, is similar to some other movements organised earlier in some other institutions where outsiders' presence was found. We are trying to find out whether our suspicion holds ground," the official said.