Jadavpur University (JU) has finally responded to the demands of students who have been protesting for fresh union elections. After a meeting held yesterday, February 13, the university released a statement noting three key points based on the students' deputation. The statement, signed by the university's Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chinranjib Bhattacharya, declared, "The Hon'ble Minister-in-Charge, Higher Education Department, Govt of West Bengal, has informed the undersigned that he will meet the representatives of the student unions to discuss their demand for a Students' Union Election."
In addition, the statement assured the students that the JU administration will provide the date of the meeting no later than February 16, 2023. The meeting itself will take place no later than February 24, 2024, with a minimum of three working days between the date of intimation and the date of the meeting, as per the demand of the students.
This development comes after students revived the Hok Union movement last week, prompted by the absence of fresh elections in the past three years. Although students anticipated an election announcement following the university's post-pandemic resumption, it is yet to happen. "The last election for the union was held in February 2020 and most of the current office bearers have since graduated, making it difficult for the union to function effectively," said Asif Iqbal, an ex-student, when he last spoke to EdexLive.
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While the move is a positive step, Subhayan Acharya Majumdar, General Secretary of the Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) at JU, stresses that the ultimate objective is the announcement of election dates. "It is a progressive step that the administration is cooperating and collaborating with the students, but the meeting does not confirm that the state government will release the election dates easily," he says.
While the state government is responsible for announcing the students' union election, students believe that the delay is intentional for several reasons, including the potential indirect impact on the state elections. "We believe the state government will keep postponing the date with excuses," adds Subhayan.
To recall, in 2017, the West Bengal state government proposed replacing "student unions" on campuses with "student councils", which sparked major controversy. The proposal was eventually repealed in 2019 after massive protests. Since then, apart from the Presidency University, Rabindra Bharati University and Jadavpur University, student union elections have reportedly not been conducted in most state universities for these years. The union, which represents the voice of the students, is distinct from the proposed apolitical councils that would be elected by the administration rather than the students.
Subhayan says the main aim of the movement is to extend it across the state and hold union elections everywhere again. Emphasising that the government must announce the election results, he concludes, "The government should announce the election dates without any pressure."
