Kalyani, Dec. 7: A group of Pro-Trinamul employees, of Kalyani University, were compelled to backtrack when they were confronted by a group of scholars after they asked them to leave the venue of the 30th convocation at the university campus held on Thursday.
The faction of the employees was against holding the convocation under interim vice chancellor Amalendu Bhunia and spearheading an agitation since Tuesday that eventually compelled the Kalyani University authorities to postpone the event on Wednesday night.
But, later in the night Governor C.V.Ananda Bose ignoring the purported “postponement” notification directed the Vice Chancellor to organize the event as scheduled on Thursday and also asked the Nadia administration to make necessary arrangements for his visit.
Finding no way to stop the convocation, a section of the University employees led by Trinamul Sikshabandhu Samiti and outsiders allegedly began threatening officials, teachers, and students not to attend the event until faced strong protests from the recipients of degrees when asked them to leave the convocation venue in “bigger interest”.
This led to an altercation over two hundred recipients asked the Trinamul-led faction to leave the venue in turn and to allow them to receive their much-awaited degrees from Governor C.V.Ananda Bose, who visited the campus amid demonstration and black flags to confer the degrees. Facing the protest Sikshabandhu members left the venue. The last convocation was held in 2018 and conferring of degrees of a few hundred students remained pending for the last five years.
Sreenanda Palit, a pass out of 2019 of the Folklore department, a Ph.D. recipient, who first raised her voice said, “I have been waiting for the past four years for the coveted certificate. I work with NIFT, but could not so far submit my certificate….Now some people asked me to leave the campus….”
Bipul Chandra Mondal, of the Rural Development department, who also came to receive his PhD echoed the same. “Over a thousand pass-out students waiting for their degree certificate for over past five years. Now when the opportunity came, some people for their political interest tried to force us out of the venue which we protested”.
Sikshabandhu Samiti president Anjan Dutta said, “We did not force anybody to leave, rather requested all to abstain from the convocation, which we think organized illegally by the Governor using his power”.
Vice Chancellor Amalendu Bhunia said, “There was nothing illegal. But there were several hindrances and we were compelled to make it a low-key affair for obvious reasons”.
Earlier on the way to the University campus, the Governor was shown black flags by the Trinamul supporters.
In his convocation speech, Bose urged to make “Bengal ahead of others”. 629 students conferred with PhD and 126 received medals at the event.
Speaking to the reporters Bose said “talks” are on between him and Chief Minister as suggested by the Supreme Court. “There is no conflict…absolutely no issue as far as the university administration is concerned”, Bose said.
“Whoever would try to create problems inside the campus will be dealt with as per law and no one will be allowed to intimidate Vice Chancellors, Professor, and students. Any miscreants entering the campus will be dealt with severely”, he added further.