Students slug it out on Kolkata streets

Clashes between rival student groups,hurling of crude bombs,ransacking of public vehicles and road blockades brought different parts of the city,particularly Shyambazar area which houses many colleges,to a grinding halt.

Among the colleges that bore the burnt of the violence was Naba Ballygunge College in Kasba in South Kolkata where troubled began in the afternoon when supporters of SFI and Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) gathered in front of the college to prevent their rivals from getting inside the campus.

The situation worsened after the clashing groups hurled bombs at each other. Many vehicles parked in the vicinity of the college were ransacked. A large contingent of police had to rush in to bring the situation under control.

The situation remained tense in the evening and there were reports that students belonging to the TMCP had gheraoed the college principal. TMCP leader Mintu Ray alleged that the principal had not allowed the students to file nomination papers without their fees book,which they had recently deposited to the college authorities for getting passes for social programme.

The principal of the college,Sukamal Dutta,however,said that most of those involved in the violence were not college students.

Local Trinamool MLA Javed Khan was also sighted near the college in the evening. The SFI,on the other hand,alleged that TMCP supporters did not allow the students to enter the college so that their candidature could be rejected.

“What is happening in the rest of the state,where the Trinamool is capturing college by force,will not be allowed in Kolkata even if we have to go to any extent,” said Madhuja Sen Roy,general secretary of Kolkata unit of SFI.

She alleged that at Behala College,the zonal committee member of SFI was attacked by the TMCP members.

Meanwhile,elections were held at St Paul’s College and Siris Chandra College. Baishanar Chaterjee,state president of TMCP who was leading the students at Naba Ballygunge College,claimed that the TMCP was winning elections at many places.

Earlier in the day,nearly 150 students of St Paul’s College under the banner of Independent Students Federation (ISF) blocked Ahmerst Street. The blockade was lifted at 3.20 pm after police intervened. The students’ union election in the college was won by the SFI.

Later in the evening,students of the Maharaja Manindranath College crossing staged demonstration and blocked the roads at Shyambazar. Reports of violence also came from Gurudas College,where five students of an opposition faction were allegedly beaten by SFI supporters.

A number of students were also injured in the clashes at Sisir Chandra College near Shyambazar. The administration deployed RAF and combat force in the area. About 10 rounds of tear gas shells were fired to bring the situation under control. “Nothing is happening inside the college. We are still inside the college and counting of votes is going on,” said Anjan Sengupta,principal of Sisir Chandra College.