03-07-2025
On campuses, ‘good riddance' vs murmurs against closure notice on union rooms
Kolkata: After the Calcutta High Court ordered the higher education department to keep student union rooms closed across colleges and universities, some felt it was a 'good riddance' while others expressed concerns about the closure order, especially since college elections were suspended for the past seven years.
In the recent past, maintaining control over union rooms and student activities triggered numerous clashes across campuses. From organising Saraswati Puja at Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College to vandalism at Jadavpur University — in every case, union rooms were considered to be the root of all troubles.
Calcutta University interim VC Santa Datta De's decision to lock union rooms across seven campuses after an incident at the Rajabazar campus — where some former students reportedly consumed alcohol in the union room — had prompted a student agitation.
Datta said: "The decision we took has been proven absolutely right after the high court order. I raised my voice against all such illegal activities in union rooms. Now it has become easier for other principals to lock union rooms following the high court order.
However, I believe that there should be academicians in the college governing bodies instead of local political leaders; only then can political influence on the campuses be restricted."
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Several principals across colleges seemed quite relieved after the order came. Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Day College principal Pankaj Roy said: "I tried several times to shut the union room but it became difficult due to a section of students. We closed the union room immediately after the court order." Another principal, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "There has been no union elections since 2017. We are helpless because we cannot instruct students to vacate union rooms because past students and even local leaders have free access there.
However, after this order, it will be easier for us to restrict such activities."
On the other hand, leaders of different campuses were somewhat upset. One TMCP neta, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We organize several activities that we cannot stop because several students need help for many issues." Another TMCP neta said: "We used to sit in the union room during college hours; now if college doesn't permit it, we will not sit there. This is not a big deal."
