If malls can be open, movie halls can be operational, why can't students go back to classes, asked students of a few universities in West Bengal who have been organising weekly protests demanding reopening of schools and colleges in the state. The students are now planning to submit a memorandum to the state's Education Minister Bratya Basu, seeking the same on October 4.
While the movement, Hok Unlock, named after the Hok Kolorob movement of 2014 in Kolkata, started at Jadavpur University, a few other Kolkata universities and colleges have joined in. The first demonstration was held on September 20 at Jadavpur University while for the second one on September 28, the students chose College Street as their venue. "Students from Presidency University also joined in. There were more than 100 students while teachers joined us in our demands as well," said Tarpan Sarkar, a student of Jadavpur University.
The students said that the plan is to hold a demonstration at Bikash Bhavan, which houses the Education Minister's office and submit a memorandum to his office if he is not available to meet them. "The logic is simple. If malls, offices, shops, theatres and offices are open and people are out for Puja shopping, then why can't colleges and schools be reopened? The kids are as exposed as the adults, they are stepping out as well. Will they contract the virus only if they come to school or we go to colleges and not when they are going out shopping with their parents?" asked a protesting student.
In a separate protest by the Arts Faculty Students Union of JU at Nabanna, the secretariat, four students were arrested for demonstration. The students were later released from the police headquarters.
