Film sparks political war at Jadavpur, FIR against ‘outsiders’
KOLKATA: Jadavpur University erupted once again on Friday evening with Left students’ groups clashing with right-wing nationalists over the screening of a film that had earlier been denied permission by the authorities.
Several students were injured as members of Think India, a wing of BJP students’ body ABVP , and those of Faculty of Arts Students (FAS) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) came to blows.The students claimed the campus had been invaded by outsiders and they had retaliated only after some girls were molested by Think India members.
JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das rushed back to the campus in a cab around 10pm to control the explosive situation. Shortly thereafter, ABVP members and BJP workers led by Roopa Ganguly reached the university and at tempted to force their way into the campus to `free’ four students who had been held captive by FAS and DSF. They also filed a complaint with the Jadavpur Police Station.
The VC tried to pacify both groups and persuaded the students to release the four ABVP members, who were later escorted out of the campus by security personnel.
Late at night, police filed an FIR against four `outsiders’ for the alleged molestation on the campus following a complaint by JU authorities. Ten students of the university also individually filed complaints at Jadavpur PS.
The university had last witnessed trouble in February when provocative slogans during a demonstration in support of the JNU intolerance incident had sparked controversy . Then, too, BJP workers led by Ganguly had marched to the university demanding action against the students. Again, it was the VC and other teachers who had acted as a buffer between the political activists and students to save the day .
On Friday , trouble erupted around 7.45pm over an alleged molestation during the screening of Vivek Agnihotri’s `Buddha in A Traffic Jam’ on the university ground. Think India had organised the screening in an auditorium in JU but the university authorities denied them the permission citing the “model code of conduct prevailing due to state election”. FAS and DSF students had initially tried to stop Think India from showing the film and then begun a parallel screening of Nakul Singh Sawhney’s `Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai’.
While `Buddha in A Traffic Jam’ is a critique of a management student who becomes an overnight sensation after a social media campaign against radical fundamentalism of moral policing in India, `Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai’ is on the Muzaffarnagar riots.
The simmering tension escalated into full-blown fisticuffs just after the screening of `Buddha in A Traffic Jam’ concluded. FAS and DSF students claimed two of their members had been molested by outsiders and held four persons. Think India members, however, countered the allegation, claiming they had been assaulted while leaving the ground. “Several of our members were beaten up. Two of them were seriously injured and have been admitted to KPC Medical College. Four of our members are still being held captive by JU students on the basis of false allegations,” said ABVP national executive member Indranil Khan.
A FAS member said they were protesting against the screening of `Buddha in A Traffic Jam’ by raising slogans and displaying black flags when Think India members began assaulting them.”In the melee, two girls were molested.We nabbed the four culprits, all outsiders, and handed them over to JU authorities,” said a FAS functionary , adding that Think India members had earlier abused the university joint register when he asked them to stop the unauthorized screening. Anupam Kher, who has acted in `Buddha in A Traffic Jam’, slammed the JU authorities’ decision to cancel the screening and termed it a display of intolerance. JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das though said the authorities had ensured the two groups of students “sat across the table” and spoke. “We wanted to let everyone have their say, instead of clamping down on a divergent points of view,” he said.
However, Agnihotri said there was no question of any kind of discussion.”They broke the side mirror of my car and injured my shoulder. My muscle is ruptured, my shirt torn. Two students fell in front of my car trying to stop me from entering. I met the leader of the students who were opposing the screening of my film. He accused me of being a BJP man,” he said.
The BJP-backed Jadavpur University Karmachari Parishad had approached the registrar on April 28 for permission to screen the film. The application was forwarded to Madhuja Mukherjee, head of JU’s film studies department. ” As a practice, JU has stayed away from any kind of film that may be released in theaters. I’ve not seen this film, but haven’t recommended it. If you are planning a screening of a film on the students’ movement now, one can read political intentions into it,” Mukherjee said.
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