Kolkata : Nearly three months after Jadavpur University erupted in protests over a police crackdown on agitating students, yet another showdown looms large with many students set to boycott the convocation even though West Bengal Governor and university chancellor K.N. Tripathi has warned against it.
The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) along with a large section of students has decided to boycott the Dec 24 convocation to press their demands for the removal of Vice-chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti as well as an impartial probe into the police crackdown on the students on the intervening night of Sep 16 and 17.
The students were allegedly beaten up by police, when they had confined the VC, registrar and members of the University Executive Council, demanding a fresh panel look into the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student on the campus.
“If the students do not attend the convocation, their certificates will be sent to them by post. If they insist, there will be a stamp on their certificate indicating that they have boycotted the convocation. I am proposing a stamp in degree certificates,” Tripathi told mediapersons here.
“If anybody refuses to participate, he is free to do so but law will takes its own course if there is any attempt to disrupt the convocation,” added Tripathi.
JUTA general secretary Nilanjana Gupta termed Tripathi’s reaction as “unfortunate”.
“This is highly unfortunate what the chancellor has said. To boycott is a democratic right of an individual but to say that it will have a bearing on the student’s career is injustice,” Gupta said.
In the wake of Tripathi’s warning, the students have called a meeting Dec 22 to decide their future course of action. “We will convene a general body meeting Dec 22 to discuss the issue,’ said Geetoshree Sarkar, general secretary of the Arts Faculty Students Union.