Protests at Presidency University: Ban on the Students’ Unions Responsible, Argue Activists

The students of the Presidency University are up in arms against the administration after it failed to shift students from a temporary hostel – located at a distance of 18 km from the campus – to Hindu Eden hostel – that stands next to the campus – at the College Street in Kolkata.

Citing inhabitable conditions at the hostel, the students have transformed the corridor outside vice chancellor's office into a dormitory, and have demanded immediate transfer to the Eden Hindu hostel. The hostel, which was closed on July 19, 2015 for renovation, has still not reopened. The authorities said that the completion of renovation will take four more months.

Shuvajit, a student from the university, said that the administration has been extending deadlines, and the students have suffered while pursuing studies. He said, "In July 2015, the students were told that the renovation work would be completed in 11 months. But, we are witnessing the same problem in the August 2018. The administration tried to cool down students in January this year, when they told that the students will be shifted to Hindu Eden hostel in July. We see no sign of any preparations so that the students can be shifted into the renovated hostel. This is our 11th day of sit-in at the campus, but the administration has not come up with a viable solution."

He further said it takes three hours to reach the campus. He said, "Since the temporary hostel is far from the city, the students have to also face irregular supply of water.”

Launching a scathing attack, he added that the present government has failed to handle the situation. “The government is only interested in snatching autonomy of the institutions, not in resolving students’ problems.”

The latest episode at the Presidency University is from among slew of protests that have rocked the state lately. The students of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital had called off their 14-day strike on July 23 when the authorities agreed to the demand of transferring second, third and fourth year students in a newly built 11-storey hostel.

Teachers and activists allege that the unrest in the campuses is the direct result of weakening of student bodies after the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee imposed The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Composition, Functions and Procedure for Elections to Students’ Council) Rules 2017 last year. The Bill not only banned student union elections across the states, but replaced them with students’ councils which are allegedly toothless bodies with no democratic rights. Similarly, the rules have been reportedly moulded to an extent that any person interested in education can be appointed as the chairman of the governing bodies in the colleges.

Commenting on the latest development, Vikram Singh, Secretary, Students Federation of India, said that the students’ unions were the legitimate bodies which acted as a bridge between students and the administration. “Since the student bodies have been banned, there is no dialogue between the administration and students. Thus, the students are forced to protest to press for their demands," added Singh.

He alleged, "The ruling party in the state lacks credible faces with academic background. That's why, they put vague terms like 'interest' to justify the appointment of their favourites in the governing bodies of the colleges."