Kolkata: Jadavpur University in Kolkata, known for its academic excellence and student activism, was plunged into turmoil following clashes between left-wing student protesters and the members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-backed teachers’ association on Saturday (March 1).
The unrest reached a critical point when West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu’s vehicle struck several protesters during a tense standoff, leaving multiple students injured. The minister was also reportedly injured.
Basu visited the university to attend the annual meeting of the West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA), a TMC-aligned body representing over 3,000 college teachers.
Students – mainly belonging to the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Revolutionary Students’ Front (RSF) and demanding the revival of student union elections stalled for several years despite court directives and government assurances – sought to engage the minister in dialogue.
Basu accepted a memorandum of demands but refused to address the students publicly, escalating tensions.
West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu is heckled at the Jadavpur University campus. Photo by arrangement.
As Basu’s convoy attempted to leave the campus, protesters surrounded his car, which bore the national flag. Demonstrators hurled bricks, shattering the vehicle’s windshield. Amid the chaos, the car struck several students blocking its path.
Indranuj Ray, a first-year student and RSF member, sustained severe eye damage after being trapped under the vehicle’s wheels.
“We were protesting in front of the minister’s car when it suddenly began to move. We stepped back, trying to distance ourselves, but the vehicle accelerated. I shielded my head, but the wheel rolled over my eyes,” shared Ray.
The minister did not stop to check on the injured and was later taken to the S.S.K.M. Medical College for evaluation. He was kept under observation for some time and released.
“Doctors told me there was no serious injury. There were some external marks on the upper part of my body but these are not serious,” shared Basu, who is also president of the WBCUPA.
“The windshield of my car was shattered, and bricks were hurled at the vehicle. A group of students created extreme chaos. We will again hold our convention there. The students tried to provoke us. They want anarchy. Would they dare to do this in a BJP-ruled state?” he asked.
A student is pulled from underneath Basu’s car. Photo by arrangement.
Abhinaba Basu, an active member of the SFI, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), alleged that the wheel of a car belonging to a TMC leader and university teacher ran over his foot.
According to local media, Abhinaba is the son of a TMC leader in Howrah.
Interestingly, there is a bitter rivalry between the RSF and the SFI on campus.
“What Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ did at Lakhimpur Kheri, the education minister of West Bengal, Bratya Basu, replicated at Jadavpur University. The RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]-BJP and TMC are continuously trying to destroy premier institutions like Jadavpur University. But this brutality surpassed everything,” claimed SFI general secretary Mayukh Biswas.
The clashes spilled beyond the university’s gates, with students blockading major roads until public intervention forced a withdrawal. The Rapid Action Force was deployed as tensions lingered into the night.
In a rare show of unity, rival left-wing groups SFI and RSF joined each other in condemning the minister.
The aftermath of violence at Jadavpur University’s campus. Photo by arrangement.
Student union elections have not been held in most of West Bengal’s colleges and universities since 2017. Jadavpur University last held student union elections in 2020.
The SFI accuses the ruling party of fearing student backlash and internal conflicts, while the TMC’s student wing, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, cites administrative challenges like the transition to a semester system as reasons for the delay.
The issue resurfaced with protesting junior doctors demanding immediate elections, highlighting the long-standing absence of student representation.
In 2023, the Calcutta high court directed the state government to immediately ask universities to hold pending elections.
Last August, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said her government would begin the process to hold student elections after Durga Puja.
Despite that, the government has avoided campus polls, reportedly due to concerns over violence and political strategy.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
