West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi today assured a team of agitating students of looking into their demands of holding elections to the Jadavpur University students' union before January 31.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Tripathi, Faculty of Engineering Technology Students' Union (FETSU) general secretary Swarnendu Barman said, "We have told him about the problems, which can arise if the elections of the students' unions are not held before January 31. He (Tripathi) said he will look into the matter and take legal advice regarding the matter and then inform the Vice Chancellor (Suranjan Das) about his decision."
A six-member delegation of the students' union led by Barman, Jadavpur University Arts Faculty Students' Union (AFSU) general secretary Shraman Guha and four others met Tripathi at the Raj Bhawan here this afternoon.
Asked whether they were satisfied with the meeting, Barman said "The Chancellor has not given us any date. He has promised to look into the matter. So there is no question of being happy or unhappy."
He, however, said the students' unions would hold a General Body meeting on January 13 to decide on their future plan of action.
"There is no question of going back on our protests till the issues were addressed properly. We condemn the order of the Governor advising the university authority to keep the election process in abeyance... We feel this is an attack on the democratic rights of the students to have a functioning, active union fighting for the demands of the students.
"We demand that in order to avoid the statutory void and to preserve the sanctity of the democratic institutions in the university, the Chancellor take cognisance of the current situation and take necessary steps to allow notification of elections before the present unions are rendered defunct," Barman said.
Incidentally, the Governor had called up JU VC last evening asking the university executive council members and student leaders to meet him today. University authorities had sought Tripathi's appointment.
Agitating students ended their three-day-long gherao of Das yesterday after he fell sick after staying confined in his office.
