Hindu students defy order of Jadavpur University administration, observe Ram Navami on the campus

Hindu students in Jadavpur University in West Bengal defied the discriminatory order of the university administration, which denied them permission to celebrate Ram Navami on the university campus. Students belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyalaya Parishad (ABVP) organised Ram Navami celebrations in the university on Sunday (6th April). The students decorated a part of the campus and placed an idol of Lord Ram and chanted the slogans of Jai Shri Ram.

The Ram Navami Puja was organised at the Technology Building of Jadavpur University. A large group of students took part in the puja.

Notably, a controversy had erupted recently over anti-national graffiti in the university campus. Slogans like ‘Azad Kashmir’, ‘Free Palestine’ had come up on the walls. On Sunday, those slogans were seen covered with pictures of Lord Ram and Sri Aurobindo, and the national flag. The puja organisers said that Jadavpur University is Rishi Aurobindo’s university, and the administration did nothing to remove the anti-national graffiti from the campus.

Sri Aurobindo was the first principal of National College in Calcutta, which later became the Jadavpur University.

The university had refused to grant permission to the students to celebrate Ram Navami citing the absence of the Vice-Chancellor. “In the absence of a Vice Chancellor, it is impossible to grant permission,” the university stated. Besides, the university stated “several factors” for making the decision and pointed out that Ram Navami had never been celebrated on the campus. The interim VC Bhaskar Gupta was removed by Governor CV Ananda Bose over campus violence and alleged insubordination. Notably, the university had granted permission to hold Iftar on the university campus a few days ago.

Kolkata District Secretary of ABVP, Debanjan Pal called out the varsity’s decision to allow Iftar but refuse Ram Navami celebrations. “The denial of permission by the university authorities was a one-sided decision. However, we were determined to go ahead with our scheduled programme despite the denial of permission, which we are doing. JU is not outside West Bengal. Barring some students affiliated with the ultra-Left forces, most students are participating in the celebration spontaneously,” said Pal.

Former VC criticises the university’s decision

Former VC of the university, Buddhadeb Sahu, criticised the university’s decision and said that the absence of the VC cannot be a ground to refuse permission for Ram Navami celebrations. “If there is no vice chancellor, how is permission denied? Who made that decision? The university did not ban it. Earlier, I participated in Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, and Iftar party celebrations,” said the former VC.

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