On Monday, a group of students of Visva-Bharati University held a noisy demonstration demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty, while a general body meeting of the teachers’ union condemned the “high-handed” behaviour of the authorities.
“We wanted to take out a big procession to the central office but found the place under heavy security. They have declared it a no-disturbance zone. So we held a demonstration at the Upasana Griha and shouted slogans,” said Falguni Pan, one of the student leaders.
The students accuse the Vice-Chancellor of turning Visva-Bharati into a right-wing institution and also for inciting the violence that broke out in the campus on January 15, when some students belonging to the Left-wing organisations were injured in an attack by a rival group. The university has rejected both allegations.
The violence followed anti-CAA protests on the campus and a lecture on CAA delivered by BJP ideologue Swapan Dasgupta.
“We will continue our agitation... we will resist all attempts to saffronise the university,” said Ms. Pan.
Meanwhile, teacher’s union Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association said that it was being made a scapegoat even though it has not openly or actively supported the agitating students.
“On January 15, our office was locked up. This, in spite of a notification issued November last year, recognising us as a voluntary organisation. The Vice-Chancellor has clearly made us a scapegoat for his mismanagement,” VBUFA president Sudipta Bhattacharyya said.
“The general body meeting condemned the closure of our office. It also condemned the high-handed manner in which the Vice-Chancellor is functioning,” Mr. Bhattacharyya alleged.
