Students held for slamming joint ops

The small group of agitating students gathered outside the complex in the afternoon and silently displayed placards criticising the recent Ordinance on massive reforms in the education sector. “No privatisation” in education,the placards said.

Other placards criticised the chief minister’s threat to take action against students for sympathising with the Maoists and denounced the joint operations.

The police refused to say if the students had been arrested or detained. They were in police custody till late Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile,Jaita Das,secretary of the Matangini Mahila Samity,condemned the chief minister’s threat to the organisation and the manner in which she described it as a “shaitaner dal” (devil’s gang).

Das said that during the Nandigram-Singur days,they had worked in close coordination with Mamata Banerjee. “We are now being threatened,” said Das. She said they were being targetted as they had been demanding the release of all political prisoners. “We had blocked the road outside the chief minister’s residence. Maybe,we are being threatened because of such differences,” said Das. The Samity is known for its support to ultra-Left ideology and groups.

The United Democratic Student’s Front,another student body largely centered round Jadavpur university,also reacted sharply to Mamata Banerjee’s threat.

Front secretary Raktim Ghosh said members of the organisation were not afraid of the chief minister’s threat and denied they held any “closed-door” meeting at Benani House in support of the Maoists. “It was an open meeting that criticised privatisation in education and security operations in Junglemahal and other issues. There was nothing secret about it. Threats will not stall the protests by students,” he added.

Amit Bhattacharya,a professor of Jadavpur University who has allegedly been under the scanner for his ultra-Left leanings,found the the chief minister’s warning against some Jadavpur university professors as surprising. “Several of us have an ideological conviction. We have often given in writing our stand on several critical issues. I do not know why the CM is making such statements ?”

Bhattacharya was the convenor of a group of civil society members,including Mahasweta Devi,who in an open letter to the CM in October had urged for restraint in Junglemahal.