Why Mamata Banerjee and Presidency University students don't get along
Something goes horribly wrong whenever the students of Presidency University, Kolkata, meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The recent-most fiasco took place on January 6, 2017, at the inaugural ceremony of Presidency’s bicentenary years. Banerjee was to be the honoured guest at the prestigious event, but she kept everyone waiting and guessing till education minister Partha Chatterjee took the microphone and announced that the CM was caught up with some “urgent” work and would not be coming, amid loud applause and cheer from the audience that mostly comprised students.
Confounded, Chatterjee went on to explain that the CM had informed the authorities earlier about her “urgent commitment”. There was another spell of clapping among the students. What was that “urgent commitment” that kept the chief minister so engaged?
According to an official, Banerjee was closeted in her own chamber at the state secretariat, Nabanna, and though engrossed in her own world/work, was not quite occupied. Unofficially there were more reasons than one for not attending the programme.
According to Chatterjee, the method of inviting her was inappropriate. An invitation letter was sent to her office, without authorities bothering to go in person and invite her, as is thought to be proper. Moreover, the authorities did not bother to check if she would attend the programme or not.
“Without caring to get a confirmation from the CMO, they (Presidency authorities) went on to print her name on the invite. After coming to know that she wouldn’t be coming, they printed a second card that removed her name,” said Chatterjee.
Two more reasons are doing the rounds, but in hushed tones. It appears that CM is miffed with a particular column of the heritage building, which has been done up on the occasion of the bicentenary celebration. Names of the famous alumni have been embossed on those columns.
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| Banerjee’s brush with Presidency and its students in the past had never been good. |
In one such column it was found that name of former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — in bigger font — was towering over the names of Subhas Chandra Bose and Amartya Sen. Banerjee obviously didn’t like it. But what she resented most was the decision to host her at an event in Prinsep Ghat, not within the hallowed premises of Presidency.
Banerjee’s brush with Presidency and its students in the past had never been good.
In 2011, a group of goons supported by the Trinamool Congress barged in the Presidency College and ransacked its property, vandalised the heritage baker laboratory and threatened the girl students. The students protested but the culprits were never arrested.
In May 2012, a student of Presidency University, Taniya Bharadwaj, embarrassed Banerjee at an interactive show on a national channel by asking her uncomfortable question. She stormed out of the show, labelling the student a Maoist.
Following the incident, both the Presidency College and Jadavpur University launched a cyber campaign, which was a big embarrassment for the ruling party. In 2013 when Banerjee, as an attempt to mend bridges with the students, sought to attend Presidency University’s convocation ceremony to announce a package of Rs 160 crore for the institute, black flags greeted her.
The Presidency students, who are known for resisting political hegemony, are especially averse to the Trinamool Congress for its relentless attempt to control the students’ unions in all the state colleges. Perhaps, because of all this, Presidency authorities avoided the heritage premises and chose Prinsep Ghat with its grand gothic and Grecian columns and Palladian porch as an alternative venue.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)