Jadavpur University students stage protest against new V-C

JU students protest against VC, demand all-stakeholder meeting to stop ragging. VC tried to reason with students, but they insisted on written assurance. Pro-VC held talks to end impasse.

Jadavpur University remained tense on Tuesday after a section of the students staged protests against officiating Vice-Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau demanding that the institute accommodate views of "all stakeholders" while taking any decision about ways to stop ragging on the campus.

When the Vice-Chancellor was leaving administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan on Monday, August 28, students of the SFI-controlled Arts Faculty Students' Union intercepted him and raised their demands. Mr. Sau left the campus after around two hours.

Also read: Ground Zero | Jadavpur University death - Ragging rag

Mr. Sau told PTI that he tried to reason with the students that an all-stakeholder meeting cannot be called hastily and he will do his best to address their concerns by this week.

"However, they wanted a circular in writing to be issued immediately with the assurance of convening a stakeholder meeting. I wanted to follow the well-established process of going through the Executive Committee meeting before deciding on the all-stakeholder participation issue. Since the students were insistent, we will find a middle path," he added.

The students had been on a sit-in at the Aurobindo Bhavan for over two weeks demanding justice for the undergraduate student who died after falling from the main hostel's second-floor balcony on August 9 after being ragged and allegedly physically abused by seniors.

Joyadrita, a spokesperson of the Arts Faculty Students Union, however, insisted that the V-C was not gheraoed.