A day after violence, university repairs emblem but scars remain on campus
Times of India | 22 August 2026
Kolkata: A day after the emblem of Jadavpur University was vandalised by ABVP supporters while they were attempting to storm the campus by scaling gate 4, the university repaired and restored it with vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee re-installing it. But scars of vandalism were still visible on the campus with torn flexes and half-erased graffiti on the wall.
The emblem designed by Nandalal Bose has a lamp with three flames within an internal ring. There is an outer ring with lotus petals. The words Jadavpur University are inscribed within the two rings in Bengali and Hindi. The lamp in the logo stands for knowledge. The three flames represent intellectual training, cultivation of emotion and imagination and spiritual development. The petals of the lotus on the periphery represent the philosophy, fine arts and culture.
It is this outer lotus ring that had got dislodged during the ABVP agitation on Thursday afternoon, sparking outrage from several quarters. Following this, the entire emblem cast in iron was taken off the gate on Friday afternoon. It was cleaned before the outer ring was welded to the logo. After the restoration was completed, the VC went to the spot and installed the logo around 5.30 pm.
“I was deeply pained by the damage caused to the logo that is so dear to all of us. Attacking a university by outsiders is not desirable, irrespective of which party, faction or colour they represent,” said Bhattacharjee.
Though students were seen chatting at World View, Milan-da-r canteen and were preparing for their protest by painting banners in front of Aahar canteen and at the portico of the Aurobindo Bhavan, the very place where right-wing mob burned a banner of ‘Ashu-Timir-er Pathshala’ — an initiative by JU students and alumni to teach underprivileged students. Near the Arts-Science More, many posters pasted on the wall were torn. A big banner near the PG Science building was seen lying on the floor. Main Hostel boarders also staged agitation in front of the VC, registrar and demanded accountability.
“We are trying to restore normalcy on campus, though there are visible signs of vandalism on the campus. There was an attempt to erase the graffiti of ‘Break Fascism with Red’ that had Nazi symbol of ‘swastika’. The students are not scared of these brute outside forces, so we are painting posters and banners at the same place where they conducted such attacks. We will also demand accountability from VC,” said Udita Bedajna, a student.
At Aurobindo Bhavan, where the mob ran rampage on Wednesday midnight, burnt the banner of pathshala by shouting ‘Happy Diwali’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jay’, witnessed students painting a poster on red cloth which read that there is no place for fascists on the soil of Ashu and Timir. JU student Ujan said, “JU has a legacy to speak truth to power.”
(Inputs from Oishi Gooptu & Paridhi Dalmia in Kolkata)