Demanding polls, student leaders gherao JU officials, withdraw after a day

The students leaders of Jadavpur University agreed to let go the vice-chancellor, the registrar and the pro-V-C of the university at 2.30 pm Friday, almost a day after they gheraoed them at their office. The officials were kept in confinement since 5 pm Thursday, demanding elections to student's unions which have been put on hold by the state government. After the advisory committee's meeting on Thursday, the members of three students unions including FETSU (Faculty of Engineering and Technology Student's Union) , SFI and DSO submitted a deputation to the vice-chancellor demanding students union election. The members of FETSU however went ahead to ghearo the officials and it continued till 2.30 pm on Friday.

The gehrao was lifted after the student leaders were assured that the university's executive committee will hold a meeting on March 12 and discuss how the election can take place on the scheduled dates. The Jadavpur University Teacher's Association (JUTA) had to intervene.

The students unions have demanded election in the university at the scheduled time which was to start from March 15. Chiranjeet Ghosh, a member of FETSU said, "We do not have a history of violence taking place in the university campus. And there is a peaceful environment here, where election can be conducted. But the government is conspiring against us. Election is our democratic right and we want it to happen at the scheduled time."

Parthapratim Bose, secretary, JUTA said, "We have asked the students to change their form of protest and wait till the meeting of the executive council on March 12. After that they agreed to lift the gherao." The state government on February 18 had issued a circular which announced state-wide suspension of college union elections for six months in view of various board examinations, besides the upcoming panchayat elections. The circular was issued after a special branch officer of Kolkata Police was shot dead during the college election at Harimohan Ghosh college on February 12.

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