KOLKATA: Jadavpur University, one of the incubation centres for left-liberal ideas in Bengal, saw its first RSS morning drill on Tuesday within days of BJP taking office in the state.
The entry into JU — where students’ unions have always been controlled by leftand far-left-leaning organisations — signals a remarkable rise of RSS in Bengal, where the organisation has grown from 1,350 ‘shakhas’ in 2012 to 4,325 ‘shakhas’ in 2026.
Like JU, most prominent campuses across the city, including Presidency, have never had a right-wing union. JU has always elected leftand ultra-left-leaning unions and even “less red” unions, like the one run by Jadavpur University Students’ Forum, who were ideologically opposed to right-wing politics. In 1996, the JU union in the arts faculty came under the control of JUSF, which was an offshoot of the Independents’ Consolidation movement that spilled over from Presidency.
Twenty permanent and contractual staff members of JU, all campus residents, took part in the one-hour morning drill from 6.30am behind Aurobindo Bhavan. The first 40 minutes were dedicated to physical exercise and yoga and the rest to a ‘Bauddhik’ (intellectual) session on worshipping the motherland with the goal of establishing India as a ‘Vishwa Guru’.
“History was created today as we started an RSS shakha at JU. I am thrilled. JU is the first institution in Bengal to have an RSS shakha on its campus,” said Palas Maji, an RSS karyakarta and an employee in JU’s physics department.
Maji said they read out ‘Amrit Bachan’ (thoughts of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar), which states that our motherland is holy and it is through the shakha system that Hindus can be united.
We recited ‘Subhasitam’, which says Hindus across the world are my brothers... and my duty is to protect Hindus and bring equality among them. We discussed the importance of ‘Hindu Samrajjyo Dinotsab’ (Hindu Empire Day), which commemorates the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The day will be observed on May 29,” said Maji, general secretary of West Bengal University Karmachari Parishad.
He said the left-aligned had pushed the nationalist ideology away from the university and promoted anti-national activities on the campus. “With a nationalist govt in the state, we mustered the courage to start a ‘shakha’ to restore the nationalist ideology on the campus. Our university has been inspired by early nationalist leaders such as Rishi Aurobindo Ghosh,” said Maji.
Partha Pratim Biswas, a professor at JU, said, “The university has always been known for its plurality and people holding different views have coexisted here. But students’ union elections have always been dominated by left or left-aligned organisations, who are anti-establishment in nature. Even within teachers’ associations, there are many who are aligned to the left. I feel all this (the morning drill by RSS) could be seen as an exhibition of power on the campus following the change of guard in the state.”
Maji said they did not wear the RSS uniform — brown pant, white shirt, cap and belt — as it is meant for special occasions. “We wore a clean attire. For most of the employees, it was their first shakha experience. We did not hoist the Bhagwa Dhwaj as it was our first shakha,” Maji said.
Rashman Issai, an employee in the English department who took part in the shakha, said, “JU has been a stronghold of left and ultra-left politics. Holding a ‘shakha’ here is a historical achievement.” Group D employee Tarak Nath Shit said, “Students’ unions have always been controlled by left-leaning organisations. A significant section of teachers is left-oriented, too. So it was unthinkable to organise a shakha in JU. Now that BJP has come to office, we got the confidence to start a shakha at JU.”