Graffiti reading ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ was discovered at Jadavpur University, sparking controversy amidst ongoing protests following a March 1 incident where two students were injured during a protest against state Education Minister Bratya Basu. Allegations emerged of plainclothes police entering the campus coinciding with TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra’s visit, inciting further student protests demanding freedom from intimidation by the ruling party. Faculty and student organizations expressed opposition to police presence and secessionist sentiments. Classes continued as normal, but tensions remained high as students presented demands for union elections and campus safety to the administration.
Kolkata:
Graffiti featuring ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ was discovered at a location on the Jadavpur University campus, sparking a controversy, while the majority of classes and examinations proceeded as per the planned schedule on Monday.
The reported presence of ‘plainclothes police personnel’ on campus, coinciding with that of a professor affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress, also unsettled some students and faculty members.
Protests had been ongoing for several days at Jadavpur University, following an incident on March 1 where two students were injured as the vehicle of state Education Minister Bratya Basu brushed past them during a protest organized by leftist groups.
An FIR has been filed against Basu, as well as professor and TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra, in relation to the violent events.
The graffiti proclaiming ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ was observed on a wall near gate number three of the university, though it remains unclear who or which group is responsible for it.
Kishalay Roy, president of JU’s Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit, informed PTI: “Some ultra-Left student groups are behind this, and if one surveys the extensive campus, more such graffiti can be found.” SFI’s JU unit leader Abhinaba Basu remarked, “While we do not endorse secessionist ideas, we oppose the oppression of minorities in BJP-ruled states.” He also clarified that SFI, the student branch of CPI(M), holds a definitive stance on the Palestine issue.
Om Prakash Mishra, a senior faculty member and member of the TMC-leaning academic forum, expressed, “We oppose any posters and graffiti that advocate secessionist viewpoints.” Upon entering the campus for the first time since the March 1 incident, he encountered slogans such as “BJP-TMC dictatorship se azadi” and “go back” from a faction of left-leaning students.
In a related incident, activists from SFI and AIDSO, alongside prominent professor unions – JUTA and ABUTA – reported that approximately 30 police officers in plainclothes entered the campus around 1 pm on Monday, soon after Mishra’s arrival, remaining until the afternoon when classes concluded.
SFI leader Souryadipto Roy noted that students expressed their agitation upon noticing plainclothes officers on campus right after Mishra entered, shouting slogans demanding freedom from intimidation by the ruling TMC and state administration. “We refuse to engage in any dialogue with the university administration until the police personnel leave,” he asserted.
Mishra visited the campus nine days following the March 1 protests by left and ultra-left students during the AGM of the West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA).
He faced rough treatment after the students were injured on March 1.
However, he stated that he was unaware of the police presence and had not informed them of his arrival, insisting he did not require security at his “own university” among his peers and students. JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy told PTI: “We do not welcome the presence of police on campus, whether in uniform or plain clothes. We were aware of several police officers in civilian attire. As senior teachers and we addressed the issue with university authorities and urged the protesting students not to escalate tensions, the situation remained manageable.” The students submitted their demands, including the need for student union elections and improved campus safety, to university officials.
“We are optimistic that classes will fully resume from tomorrow,” Roy concluded.
Goutam Maity, an office-bearer of the All Bengal University Teachers Association (ABUTA) and senior faculty member at JU, also remarked on the reports regarding the presence of plainclothes police during Mishra’s visit, stating that it was “unfortunate.”
A senior university official clarified that the police were not invited to the campus and that the authorities had no prior knowledge of their presence inside.
“Police have been monitoring outside the campus since March 1,” he noted.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)