Jadavpur: The Left-dominated Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) on Saturday appealed to students “not to harass, assault and attack teachers”. Hours later, the interim JU vice-chancellor urged the students from his hospital bed “to restore normalcy in the greater interest of the university”.
The teachers’ association said in a statement on Saturday: “JUTA condemns the instances of some students harassing teachers personally. We are asking all sides to desist from personal attack or assault. We are also criticising those who are posting disparaging comments about our Association taking advantage of this situation.”The association wrote that JU had a legacy of mutual respect and a cordial relationship between teachers and students.
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Jadavpur University teachers urge protesting students to rethink class, exam boycott
Authorised VC Bhaskar Gupta, who was admitted to hospital following the latest round of campus unrest, said in his email appeal: “I hereby appeal to my beloved students and other learned stakeholders to take all necessary steps to restore normalcy in the greater interest of the university; particularly in the matter of academic activity; research and administrative activities of the university. Let democracy prevail and all issues be resolved through dialogue.”
The appeal from the VC came a day after Left and ultra-Left students threatened an administrative shutdown on the campus starting Monday if the VC did not come to the campus and concede their demands.
The JUTA appeal comes in the wake of a call to boycott classes of teachers who are known to be pro-Trinamool. The teachers, a section of students alleged, were among those responsible for education minister Bratya Basu’s car allegedly hitting a first-year student on March 1.
The Telegraph reported on Friday that these students had defaced the walls of the international relations and English departments with slogans naming particular teachers. International relations professor Om Prakash Mishra has stopped coming to the campus in the face of the boycott call and alleged threat messages.
He wrote to the VC on March 4, appealing that he be provided security. Manojit Mandal, who was the head of the English department until last week, has also stopped coming to the campus. Teachers perceived to be opposed to the Left have been singled out and targeted by students earlier as well, sources on the campus said.
The Left-dominated JUTA seems to have understood the perils of such boycott calls, the sources said. Several pro-Left teachers conceded that such a call had the potential to alienate them from students on other campuses and their colleagues elsewhere could be subjected to similar treatment in institutions where they were in the minority.
JUTA secretary Partha Pratim Roy told The Telegraph: “We don’t support the harassment of teachers. A teacher can have his or her own ideology. The different ideologies can co-exist. A teacher should not be singled out for attack because of his or her own identity.”
VC Gupta said in his appeal: “In conclusion, and most importantly, I want to express my sympathy and all my well wishes to my students who were injured. Let justice prevail. I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate turn of events on 1st March and wish well for all injured, mentally and physically.”
On March 1, Left-supporter students allegedly heckled the education minister, demanding that he talk to 40 students regarding the resumption of campus polls. Around 6pm on Saturday, a delegation of students, including some of those at the forefront of the violent campus protests on March 1, went to meet the VC in hospital.
Students who had accused the VC of “running away” gave him a small bouquet of flowers and wished him a speedy recovery. One of them, Debarghya Jash, said: “We enquired about his health and urged him to come to the campus soon so discussions can be held about the resumption of campus polls and other issues.
We told the VC that a former student has been arrested for his involvement in a case of arson on the office of the non-teaching employees’ union. We also told him that the police were sending notices to students in connection with what happened on March 1. We sought the VC’s intervention.”
