The Jadavpur University executive council (EC) on Wednesday adopted a resolution that says the education department has not responded to the university’s communication about immediate conduct of students’ union elections and “this is hampering the democratic rights and practices of the students, leading to discontent in the university”.
The meeting comes after students staged protests demanding elections when governor C.V. Ananda Bose, also the Jadavpur University chancellor, came to the campus for the convocation on Saturday.
“The EC, in its meeting on December 28, notes that the university is yet to receive a response from the state government which is hampering the democratic rights and practices of the students, leading to discontent in the university. The EC now reiterates its stand regarding the holding of the students’ union election at the earliest and requests the state government to accord necessary permission in terms of clause….” says the resolution.
The protest at JU escalated after the students of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, who held a hunger strike for several days demanding union polls, conducted the elections on their own last week.
“Holding elections is a legitimate demand and we will not stop until elections are held,” said Aritra Majumder, the chairperson of the faculty of engineering and technology students’ union (Fetsu).
When contacted, JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das The text of the resolution says: “The EC authorizes VC to intimate the state government about the resolutions of the executive council. The EC also authorizes pro-VC to pursue the matter….” declined to comment.
