West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is set to lead a ‘Saffron Samman Yatra’ from Golpark to Jadavpur University on September 9. This comes after a recent ‘Vande Mataram’ programme held at the politically charged campus on Rakhi Purnima.
The proposed march will begin at Golpark, pass through Dhakuria and culminate at the 8B bus stand near Jadavpur University.
Organisers said the programme would seek to promote nationalist thought and underline the need for greater administrative monitoring of the university campus.
On Rakhi Purnima, thousands of people had gathered along the road from Jadavpur University to Jadavpur police station for a programme titled ‘Vande Mataram in 10,000 voices. Adhikari had attended the event, organised against a series of recent controversies on the campus.
During that programme, Adhikari had criticised both the Trinamool Congress government and the erstwhile Left regime over the political environment at the university.
He alleged that during the communist rule, portraits of Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar did not find a place at the institution.
Adhikari also alleged that a “threat culture” had developed in university hostels and claimed that a section of students was forcing others to participate in political programmes.
He said that while the majority of students were “nationalist and patriotic”, a group wearing Che Guevara T-shirts was allegedly threatening ordinary students with consequences similar to those faced by a student from Ranaghat.
He also referred to the controversial death of student Swapnadeep and criticised the previous Trinamool government over its handling of campus politics.
Recalling an earlier protest against ragging, Adhikari claimed that Maoist supporters had protested against his visit to the campus and raised “go back” slogans.
He alleged that the then police minister had intervened to secure the release of two arrested Maoists.
The September 9 march is expected to further intensify the political contest over Jadavpur University, with the ruling establishment seeking to project nationalism and campus security as key issues.
