Presidency teachers urge students to withdraw agitation

A group of 36 teachers of the Presidency University has jointly urged the agitating students of the institute to withdraw their 12-day-old stir promising them to monitor renovation work of the Hindu Hostel building.

Altogether 50 students have been on an indefinite sit-in at the university campus demanding that they be allowed to stay at the Hindu Hostel which has been on renovation for the past three years.

Ayan Chakraborty, an activist of students' body Independent Consolidation (IC), today said 36 teachers handed over yesterday a joint letter to the agitating students who comprises members of the IC, SFI and a few others who are not affiliated to any union.

"In the letter, the faculty members urged us to withdraw the movement stating that it is affecting the normal functioning of the institute and promised to monitor the renovation work of the Hindu Hostel," Ayan said.

They requested the students to withdraw the agitation and go back to the rented premises at Newtown, about 18 km away from the university, for the time being.

"But we turned down their request to withdraw the sit-in as don't agree with the teachers' views that the agitation has been affecting the functioning of the university in any way," Ayan added.

He said, "We are attending classes regularly. We are not disrupting the academic or administrative work. We are just staying at a particular place in the campus."