Support for ABVP in JU engineering, but no toehold in arts, science

KOLKATA: BJP supporters chanted ‘naxalder chamra khule nebo amra’ — slogans reeking of vengeance against “CPM-Naxal-Trinamool nexus”, who allegedly assaulted Union minister Babul Supriyo on Jadavpur University campus on Thursday. But there was no resonance inside JU. ABVP supporters instead staged a dharna, far away from the campus, in front of the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road, demanding the VC’s resignation.
“There was a freshers’ welcome programme organized by the ABVP at JU and Babul was an invitee there. Some students barracked the Union minister while he was entering the campus. Trouble began when students turned restive while he was coming out and assaulted him. Somebody from inside the crowd attacked Agnimitra Paul with a sharp object. While she got saved, an ABVP member got injured. This continued till late until Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar came to their rescue. We do not know who vandalized the union room and we never support any vandalism. ABVP members have protested peacefully yesterday,” said Durgakanta Roy, ABVP office secretary.

Not all JU students endorse the manner in which some barracked the Union minister, but they are not in a mood to recreate a ‘Hok Kolorob’ against vice-chancellor Suranjan Das.
JU students do not see the ABVP gaining support inside campus because the organisation is yet to emerge as a sizeable force. “The ABVP enjoys support among 10% students in the engineering faculty. It did contest the FETSU polls two years ago but not under the ABVP banner and got considerable support. But the organisation hasn’t gained a toehold in arts and science faculties. It doesn’t have the striking force in the last two faculties,” a JU fourth year mechanical engineering student said.
Yet, the ABVP enjoys a silent support in the engineering faculty. The support is on the rise as was evident three years ago in 2016 when students clashed inside the JU campus over the screening of Vivek Agnihotri directed political film ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’. ABVP has already gained a toehold in the JU main hostel beside Jadavpur Police Station, particularly among the Hindi-speaking students coming from north India to study engineering and BTech.
Even as the JU administration wouldn’t admit this language-based polarisation, an academic decision of the engineering faculty has curbed the entry of students from other states to a large extent. Unlike eaRlier, the engineering faculty has reserved 90% of its seats for domicile candidates. “Only those candidates will be treated as domicile of West Bengal who are either, a) residing in West Bengal continuously for at least 10 (ten) years as on 31.12.2018; b) whose parent(s) is/are permanent resident(s) of West Bengal having permanent addresses within the State of West Bengal,” the rules read.