Anirban Bera, a student of Class XII at Jadavpur Vidyapith, was looking forward to stepping on the campus for the first time after March last year, when schools were shut down as a precaution against Covid-19.

But the student of science had to return disappointed as a group of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) supporters picketed outside the school’s gate to enforce the 12-hour bandh called by Left parties.

A student of Jadavpur Vidyapith returns home Sanat Kr Sinha

Bera, who will appear in the higher secondary practical exams from March 10, was looking forward to resumption of in-person classes so he could get some hands-on training.

“It is crucial to get the bare minimum hands-on training before the practical exams. Since the institution remained shut for 11 months because of the pandemic, we could not attend any practicals. But as bandh supporters blocked the entry, I decided to return home,” said Bera.

The Dhakuria resident, accompanied by mother Mithu Bera, turned up in front of the school around 10.25am. The entrance was blocked by SFI

supporters.

The group had placed a placard on the gate that read: “Chhatra chhatrider opor aaghater pratibadey aaj dharmaghat safal korun (make the bandh successful to protest the assault on the students).”

Police allegedly assaulted supporters of the SFI and the Democratic Youth Federation of India, both wings of the CPM, on Thursday when they were marching towards Nabanna.

Bera and his mother waited for around 20 minutes. As the SFI supporters showed no sign of budging, they decided to return home.

“We did not want to take any risk. Bandh supporters stood at the gate holding flags. Cops were around. What if the situation worsened? We decided to come back. On our way back, we saw a few students returning home,” the mother recounted.

“Some of the teachers were advising me over the phone to wait. But I was not feeling comfortable and returned,” said Bera.

At Jadavpur, the bandh supporters were initially protesting in front of gate number 4 of the university. They put up a blockade on Raja Subodh Mullick Road that runs along the boundary of JU.

Around 10.20am, the SFI supporters decided to block the entry to Jadavpur Vidyapith and took control of the gate. As the stand-off persisted, headmaster Parimal Bhattacharya went down to the gate to speak to the protesters.

“I told them what they were doing was harming the students. The students had come to attend practical and theory classes after so many days. The protesters were entitled to protest peacefully but they could not harm the interest of our students,” said Bhattacharya.

Jadavpur Vidyapith headmaster Parimal Bhattacharya requests protesters to let the students enter Sanat Kr Sinha

The bandh supporters left around 10.50am, following Bhattacharaya’s intervention.

“I have heard some students went back home because of the blockade. That was unfortunate. We will ensure that additional classes are held to make up for the loss.”

Students entered the campus even as the headmaster stood guard at the gate.

Why did the SFI, which had been vocal about reopening schools and colleges, scare students away?

“We did not scare anyone away. We explained to the students and the guardians why our supporters were protesting in front of the school. They understood the reason and went back…. After we ended the protest, many students entered the school,” said Debaraj Debaanth, a member of SFI’s Calcutta district committee and a student of JU.