Bengal minister urges Jadavpur students to end fast, one hospitalised

Even as West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee appealed to a section of Jadavpur University students to end their indefinite hunger strike, a fasting agitator was rushed to the hospital late Friday after his health deteriorated.

Shibam Ghosh, a third year engineering science student, is one of the 12 students who began a hunger strike Monday pressing for the removal of Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti.

"His blood glucose levels dropped in the evening and he was admitted to the KPC Medical College and Hospital close to the university campus," said Gitashri Sarkar, representative of the students' union of the varsity.

Chatterjee Friday met a section of protesting students of the University and said he had apprised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the situation. He said they were reaching towards a solution though it was not clear what shape it would take.

Chatterjee had a lengthy discussion with 12 students who are on an indefinite hunger strike AChakrabarti and representatives of Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) were also present in the meeting.

"I appeal to the students to end their hunger strike. I have heard all their views and the chief minister and chancellor (Governor K.N. Tripathi) have been informed. We are reaching towards a solution but we can't say we have found out a solution," Chatterjee told the media.

He also stressed he was trying to rebuild trust between all parties and urged for some more time from the students.

The students have been clamouring for Chakrabarti's removal since Sep 17 when the university authorities ordered a police crackdown on a sit-in by students who were demanding an independent investigation into the alleged molestation of a female student inside a hostel.

The incident triggered protest rallies in the city and had a ripple effect across the country, with college alumni organising protest marches in Delhi and Mumbai.

Many students also boycotted the 59th annual convocation of the university in December.

The agitation brought together the Kolkata diaspora and university alumni in solidarity through social networking websites.

Amid the clamour for his removal, Chakrabarti, who was the interim vice chancellor, was given full time responsibility by Governor Tripathi, who is the ex-officio chancellor.

The state government later instituted a five-member probe panel headed by University of Calcutta vice chancellor Suranjan Das to look into the prima facie evidence of the alleged molestation.

Two university students and an alumnus were arrested and subsequently released on bail.