Kalyani,
Aug. 18: Some students known to be
Trinamul Chatra Parishad (TMCP) activist have allegedly beaten up a second year
M Sc student belong to Scheduled Tribe (ST) community of Horticulture faculty
of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswabidyalaya (BCKV), Kalyani, Nadia District at West
Bengal on Friday night because he lodged complaints against the University
authorities for alleged violation of reservation criterion in admission to
under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) courses. He also had raised his
voice for denial of benefits by the University authorities to the SC, ST
community students as specified by the state government.
Paban Hansda, originally a
resident of Kharagpur-Prem Bazar in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, who
was allegedly tortured for over three hours late on Friday night at his hostel
room located at the University campus in Mohonpur, was initially admitted to
JNM Hospital in Kalyani. However, he was later transferred to Apollo hospital
in Calcutta late on Saturday night as his condition deteriorated further.
Hospital sources said, A CT scan
done on Paban indicates clotted blood in his brain which he sustained due to
hit by dumb objects.
On Saturday night SDPO Kalyani
Chandrasekhar Bardhan and SDO Saibal Chakraborty rushed to the hospital hearing
the critical condition of Paban and talked to BCKV vice chancellor C.R.Koley
for his treatment.
“We arranged to transfer the
injured student to the city based private hospital only after a discussion with
the VC who assured to bear the medical expenses for treatment of the student”,
said the SDPO Kalyani.
“Later he sent Pro VC Biswapati
Mandal and the university security officer to the hospital who took Paban to
Calcutta for further treatment”, he added.
The accused students had also
beaten up two other ST students – Jadunath Hembram (M Sc 2nd year
in Agronomy) and Suren Murmu (M Sc 2nd year in Soil and Water Conservation)
along with Paban. However, their injuries were not serious enough.
Paban and the two other
students are active TMCP activists and also members of ‘BCKV Adivasi Students Association’ (ASA), a registered organization which works for rights for ST
students in the University. Jadunath is the President of the organization,
while Paban is the Vice President.
Professor Nityananda Das, Dean of
Students’ Welfare of BCKV said: “We have received complaints from the students
and following which the VC has constituted an enquiry committee which will be
headed by Dean of PG faculties Professor S.A.Khan. He was asked to submit his
report within seven days”.
District TMCP leadership, however,
claimed that none of their members were involved into the incident.
Bharat Jakat Santhal Pathua Gaunta
(All India Santal Students’ Association), a
national level student organization of tribal community, condemned the
incident. The organization members also met SDO Kalyani on the matter on Sunday
and expressed their concern.
Meanwhile, the three students
claimed that the police refused to accept their complaint.
“We went to lodge the complaint at
Mohonpur outpost under Haringhata police station. However, the officer in
charge refused to accept it. We then went to the SDPO, who after hearing our
case instructed the Mohonpur office to take complaint. But, again he refused”,
alleged Jadunath.
SDPO Kalyani Chandrasekhar Bardhan
said: “This is not true at all. I have enquired and came to know that none of
the students who came to me went again to the Mohonpur outpost to lodge the
complaint”.
Sources said, contention developed
between the backward community students and general students led by a faction
of TMCP ever since the ASA raised implementations of reservations orders of the
government.
Suren Murmu, one of the tortured
students said: “On Friday night Some students of general categories led by Arup
De and Subhadip Dasgupta, Sarthak Bhattacharjee, all 2ns year M Sc students of
Soil Science, barged into our rooms and dragged us to a second floor room,
where they started beating us randomly with broken pieces of benches, bamboo
sticks, broken strips of mirror as they alleged we being the ST students have
been enjoying benefits of reservations robbing the rights of the general
category students”.
“They abused us racial remarks,
kicked and punched us at random for nearly three hours and even forced us to
write confessional undertakings that we are involved in molestation of girl
students in drunk state and also in theft. Paban was their main target. He was
hit by the mirror strips on his head”, Suren added.
“On Saturday morning we took Paban
first to local health centre in Jagulia as he was bleeding and writhing in
pain. He was then referred to JNM Hospital in Kalyani”, he added.
According to norms as set by the
state government, the students of SC, ST and OBC categories enjoy reservations
for admission in the state run colleges and universities.
A senior official in the state
administration said: “On March 22 this year the West Bengal Assembly passed a
Bill providing reservation for students belonging to the SC, ST and OBC in
State-run colleges and universities. Under this system the state government 22%
seats in each stream will be reserved for students belonging to the SC, 6% for
ST category and 17 % for OBC categories.”
Necessary government order was also
issued in this respect to all the University authorities to commence the effect
from the 2013-14.
However, the ASA alleged that this
order was never followed by BCKV particularly in admission of students in B Sc
in Horticulture and Agriculture.
“At least five students were
deprived admission by the university despite they were strongly eligible for
admission”, said President of ASA, Jadunath Hembram.
“Moreover, the SC – ST cell that
ensures that student’ benefits remained non- functioning for long time. The
University has also never bothered to introduce tutorial and coaching classes
for the backward students for job oriented programme as per government order”,
he alleged further.
“We become vocal of these issues
but earned wrath of the general students backed by a section of the TMCP
activists led by Rajiv Kundu, Arup De, Subhadip Dasgupta, who are all members
of the now dissolved unit of the TMCP unit of which we were also the members”,
said Suren Murmu, who was beaten by some TMCP students on June 22 this year.
“I also lodged a complaint after
the attack to DM Nadia, District Welfare Officer of Backward classes (Nadia),
VC and Registrar of our University, but none responded to it”, he added.
Dean of Students’ Welfare Professor
Nityananda Das, however, refused the allegations. He said: “The admission
policies of the university strictly abide by the set government norms and
orders and no violation was made in this respect”.
Also check this link : http://newsfromnadia.com/index.php/news-reader/items/tribal-students-beaten-up-at-bckv-for-raising-reservation-demands.html
By courtesy: NfN Network (News From Nadia), 2013-08-19 16:22
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