Jadavpur University VC returns to office after a month

After being absent from his office for a month following his gherao by agitating students, Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti today joined office and hoped to end the stalemate. "The students have co-operated with me and they even created a safe passage for me so that I could enter my room. I have told them that we will discuss the matter with them and they must attend classes. They seem willing to talk," Chakrabarti told PTI after joining office in the morning.

He claimed that around 60-70 per cent of the classes are being held as per schedule, amidst a class boycott call given by student unions to demand VC's resignation for calling police in the campus during the gherao a month ago. "We will sort out the issue by means of discussion with the students. I have full faith in them. They are like my children. I am confident that we will end this impasse," the VC said.

He has also sought co-operation from teachers who have been upset with circulars which they felt were blaming and threatening them indirectly. When asked what kept him away from office so long, he cited health reasons.

"It is a golden period of life and this is the time to build their career, our students are intelligent and meritorious, they should return to classes," he said. Chakraborti had called in the police in the middle of the night on September 16 to 'rescue' him as he 'feared for his life' during a gherao by the students over their objections and demands on composition of a committee to look into a case of sexual harrassment of a girl student. "Agitation may take place in a democratic way, it may continue for three-four days, but I am confident that matters can be solved through discussion," Chakraborti, whose temporary appointment was turned into a permanent four-year term by Governor K N Tripathi, who is the ex-officio Chancellor of the University.

"I have faced at least 10 agitations in the 11 months that I am holding office here, these have all been solved through discussions," he said. Asked why he had then called in the police on that day, the VC said "I will not discuss the September 16 issue."

Asked whether he planned to call the teachers who sided with the students on the issue of police action and also participated in their agitation, he said. "They are my colleagues, they can come for discussion any time. I never call them." He said that the students were welcome to come and discuss any issue with him.

"Classes are already on in large numbers and more would be held soon," he said, adding that he was in constant touch with the deans of different departments. Chakraborti has not been attending office since September 16.

The Calcutta High Court passed orders directing normalisation of situation in the university and that classes be held normally while allowing the agitators to demonstrate in a particular place fixed by the university within the campus without disturbing the classes.