Kolkata:Jadavpur University's 59th convocation would now be remembered for the protests against V-C Abhijit Chakrabarti. The students demanded the resignation of the VC for allegedly ordering a police lathicharge on the students three months ago when they were agitating against an alleged molestation incident. The refusal of students to accept certificates yesterday was unprecedented in the history of JU convocations.
Geetasri Sarker, the best UG student, refused to accept a gold medal from chancellor and Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi as the V-C was present on dais. They had been demanding his removal since long.
“I wanted to tell the chancellor why we have been agitating but he asked me: ‘Will you take it'. When I said no, he told me ‘you get out''', Geetashri, a student of Bengali, said to a newspaper.
It was not only Geetasri who refused to accept her medal, 100 more students wearing ceremonial robes and black badges did not enter the convocation venue. Some of them even left the dais without receiving their degrees. Over 250 teachers from Jadavpur University Teachers' Association boycotted the ceremony.
A contingent of 100 policemen was deployed on the venue to prevent any untoward incident.
The varsity awarded Dr Avinash Chander, scientific adviser to Defence Minister, with an honorary D. Sc and footballer Baichung Bhutia with an honorary D. Lt.
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