Withdraw police cases against BESU students

To: Governor, West Bengal, INDIA
To
The Chancellor, Bengal Engineering & Science university &
The Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal .

Sir,

We are watching the affairs of the BESU institution with concern and regret. A premier institution, 150-year old, turning out young builders of the country is being destroyed for petty partisan interests. Taking advantage of a scuffle between two sections of students, a matter which the departmental teachers had themselves almost settled, the VC called the police and closed the institution sine die from 6.11.08. The police arrested eleven students from the campus . Teachers were individually insulted by top police officers.

The police brought bailable charges against three students belonging to the students' wing of the major ruling party, and they were released on P.R.Bond on the same day. But non-bailable charges, although false and even, perhaps, laughable, were brought against eight students without such affiliation, and they spent four nights in jail.. This act of the police exemplifies how the police and the administration carry out abjectly the orders of the major ruling party.

Surprisingly enough , BESU Board of Management in its meeting on 13.11.08 resolved that

1) Henceforth the Law and Order problem of BESU will be handled by the police

2) A new code of conduct of the students will be enforced which ought to be signed by the students and their guardians, in spite of the fact that there exists a code of conduct;

3) A code of conduct for the teachers will also be enforced.

In the present instance there are two major partisan interests:

(i)
Students are being shown just before the union elections the extent to which the college administration and the police are prepared to go in victimising those who refuse to support the major ruling party's students' wing.

(ii) The elevation of BESU to IIEST status is sought to be prevented to continue the state government's stranglehold over the BESU.

In the circumstances we appeal to you to ensure
(a) the withdrawal of all charges against students
(b) the withdrawal of police from the campus
(c) the withdrawal of draconian decisions of the Board of Management unprecedented for any educational institution
(d) security for students through internal measures
(e) redressal of the grievances of the students, and
(f) initiation of a discussion with the students, teachers, alumni and guardians to restore normalcy in the Institute.


Sincerely,

The Undersigned
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