Today, Thursday, August 17, West Bengal's Jadavpur University (JU) made identity cards compulsory for visitors to enter the campus at night, and decided to install CCTV cameras at strategic points, including at the gates, at the earliest.
These steps come a week after the death of a first-year UG student, allegedly due to ragging. Allegations about outsiders indulging in inappropriate behaviour in the campus area were also rife.
CCTV surveillance
Registrar Snehamanju Basu informed that the university had given contracts for installing CCTVs but it would take some time to make them functional. "CCTVs will be installed at certain strategic points, which will include several entry and exit gates. However, since the electrical engineering department will take a call on the issue of installation with the firm under contract, the entire exercise will take some time," she said, as per a report by PTI.
Basu added that the state's Public Works Department (PWD) was also associated with the works undertaken, adding to the logistic issues. She further said that any decision to have CCTV coverage for the entire hostel compound and campus area could not be taken now as it could only be vetted by the university's Executive Council (EC), which takes key decisions. Notably, the JU EC has not been functioning for quite some time, as a vice-chancellor has not been appointed for months.
Identity checks
In the wake of reports about the entry of day scholars into the university and several hostel campuses during dusk, the authority has decided to strictly monitor them by making identity cards mandatory from 8 pm to 7 am. The identity cards will be issued by the varsity.
Identity proofs of others who enter the premises will also be screened. Their names, addresses, purpose of visit and the concerned university official whom they wish to meet would be written in a register kept with the security person. Vehicles entering the campus would have to bear stickers issued by the university.
Student protests
Meanwhile, members of various student unions ranging from the majority SFI (Students Federation of India) and FETSU (Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union) to TMCP (Trinamool Chhatra Parishad) and ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) held demonstrations separately within and outside the campus demanding an end to ragging in the hostels. A strong police force stood by to ensure that there was no fracas.
The student unions shouted slogans blaming each other for bringing the situation to such a point but there was no untoward incident. Hundreds of SFI activists staged protests near the main gate of the university and held the authorities responsible for the death of the 17-year-old UG student, Swapnadeep Kundu, as they did not do the needful to check ragging on the campus.
They were stopped by the police from proceeding towards the spot where a sit-in protest was ongoing by the TMCP on the same issue. The TMCP alleged that its members, including JU unit Chairperson Rajanya Haldar, were manhandled by SFI during a protest. ABVP also held a sit-in protest near the gate.
The backstory
Nine persons, including former and current students of JU, were arrested for allegedly ragging and sexually harassing the victim student, leading to his death after falling from a second-floor balcony of the main hostel building. He fell around 11.45 pm on August 9 and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital the next day. The accused have been remanded to police custody, as per PTI.
