JU students, alumni rally against ‘campus terror’, teachers hold cease-work
Times of India | 22 August 2026
Kolkata: A tense and anxious Jadavpur University campus on Friday witnessed rallies and demonstrations to protest the “unprovoked attack” and the labelling of university students as “anti-nationals”.
Students and alumni gathered in large numbers at the university and marched to Dhakuria to protest against the attack on the varsity by right-wing activists on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, which led to the desecration of the JU emblem designed by Nandalal Bose.
A large number of teachers also participated in a two-hour demonstration and half-day cease-work at Aurobindo Bhavan from 2 pm to 4 pm in protest against the acts of arson by outsiders at the administrative building named after Sri Aurobindo.
Carrying placards and shouting slogans, the students vowed to resist such attacks from external political forces and urged everyone to keep brute force and violence out of educational institutions, as it ruins the academic environment.
Sociology dept student Anubhab Gupta said, “The rally was to protest against the saffron terror being unleashed on educational campuses like JU. They want to capture the university by force and curb dissenting voices. But through this rally, we also demand that the state govt conduct the union elections and let us democratically demonstrate the power of the students.”
Former JU economics professor and alumnus Gautam Gupta said, “In those days, after the attempted Partition of Bengal in 1905, some Bengal intellectuals thought of experimenting with nationalist education. There is that famous speech by Rabindranath Tagore at Town Hall, where it was decided that to resist the British rule, one needed an alternative form of education. Thus, the National Council of Education was born. It was Tagore who requested Nandalal Bose to design the emblem. Today, that emblem has been desecrated, and I have no words to condemn such a dastardly act.”
“People who attacked had no connection with JU. Students were chased into Aurobindo Bhavan, where a single guard locked the door from inside, while the other guards were nowhere to be found,” said Anjil Das, a fourth-year UG maths student, adding that officers at the police station beside the main hostel did not act when the hostel was attacked.
JUTA general secretary Rajeyswar Sinha said, “It is unfortunate that we, the JU community, are being labelled anti-nationals. At this university, Sri Aurobindo delivered a speech addressing students where he said: go abroad, acquire knowledge, and then return to serve the motherland. The proof that JU has understood the weight of these words and lives up to this legacy is that this varsity carries out one of India’s most vital defence responsibilities. This attack is a blow to our dignity, causing pain not only to those associated with JU but to all patriotic and nationalist people.”
Another alumnus, Sambhu Sarkar, said, “If students have issues of their own — whether someone is from the SFI, ABVP, or holds any other political views — they should sit together and resolve them among themselves. Why should a mob rampage on the campus and unleash violence?”
Many students also claimed the targeted actions were part of a calculated political agenda.