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Exams boycotted, JU students rally to press demands

By Rajesh Kumar, Section Education
Posted on Fri Jun 17, 2005 at 03:25:21 AM EST

The Jadavpur University authorities on Thursday said they were ready to hold talks with the faculty of engineering and technology students' union (Fetsu) to resolve the stalemate, but the union refused to make any concession.

"We are hopeful of an immediate solution to the stalemate at the university. We are waiting for the students' response," said Manoj Mitra, dean of faculty, engineering.

"There is a possibility of a meeting between the five-member committee, set up by the vice-chancellor, and the students. We hope a solution will emerge from that meeting," Mitra added. He heads the five-member committee.

Owing to the student agitation, no examination of the engineering department was held on Thursday. Registrar Rajatkumar Bandyopadhyay said some supplementary examinations were held. But scheduled examinations of the engineering department went unattended because of the boycott programme launched by the Fetsu.

The students' union, however, claimed that even supplementary examinations were not held. "No examination was held on Thursday," asserted Anupam Mukherjee, Fetsu member and a student of electronics at the university.

The union stressed that it won't withdraw any of its demands. "We won't budge a millimetre from our stand. The university authorities will have to take back the five expelled students. Also, the vice-chancellor and the registrar will have to take responsibility of the police lathicharge on fasting students and resign," said Amit Chakraborty, Fetsu general secretary.

The union on Thursday organised a procession to press its demands. Nearly 2,000 students and teachers took part in the rally, Chakraborty said.

The rally started at 3 pm and ended at 6.30 pm. Students from Presidency College, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Bengal Engineering and Science University of Shibpur and Jawaharlal Nehru University of New Delhi also joined the procession.

The rally proceeded along Rashbehari Avenue, SP Mukherjee Road, Raja Subodh Mullick Square and ended in front of the Academy of Fine Arts building. There was no untoward incident during the procession, which Fetsu termed "peaceful".

Students shouted slogans demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor and registrar, punishment for the police who beat the students and annulment of the five expulsions.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050617/asp/calcutta/story_4878371.asp

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