: As the Jadavpur University students’ hunger strike entered the sixth day on Sunday, parents of the students announced plans to observe a token 24-hour hunger strike on Monday in solidarity with the students’ movement.
While one among the 14 fasting students, Sumit Kanjilal, was hospitalised following a high bilirubin count; Shibam Ghosh, who was earlier hospitalised after he fell ill, resumed the hunger strike after he was discharged from the hospital during the day.
The parents also announced that the token strike would be held to protest against University registrar Pradip Ghosh’s decision of sending the police to the homes of the fasting students.
“The police visited my house thrice on Thursday [January 8] and said they had been asked to inform me that my daughter, who was fasting, had fallen ill. Constables visited me twice and asked me to accept a written letter informing me about my daughter’s failing health, which I refused to acceptLater, an additional superintendent of police visited me asking me whether I had received the written application,” Nabanita Pal said.
On asking the registrar why he chose to send the police instead of calling the parents himself, he said the University database did not have the updated numbers, Ms. Pal said.
Questioning the deployment of the police, especially when a police crackdown triggered the four-month-long students’ agitation, Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association general secretary Nilanjana Gupta said Mr. Ghosh had offered unconvincing answers on the matter.
“It was a wrong move. The hunger strike is not a violation of laws and is not a law and order crisis situation that prompted the registrar to send the police to the students’ houses. University officials could have been sent instead of involving the police,” Ms. Gupta said.
A day after Bengal Governor and University Chancellor Keshari Nath Tripathi ‘cautioned’ Mr. Chakrabarti for the delay in taking action on the August 28 molestation case, which prompted the movement, State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee held a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here on Sunday.
Commenting on the meeting’s outcome, Mr. Chatterjee said: “I will announce it tomorrow [Monday].” He is expected to meet the students on Monday on campus.
Meanwhile, denying claims that the State government had issued directions to Mr. Chakrabarti, asking him to visit only the Salt Lake campus of the University, and not the main campus at Jadavpur where the students were fasting, Mr. Ghosh told The Hindu he was yet to receive official word on the matter, adding: “We have not heard of any such order and thus, cannot comment on it.”
“Token strike to protest against University registrar Pradip Ghosh’s decision of sending the police to the homes of the fasting students”
