Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Monday issued notices to all state-aided universities in Bengal, directing them to submit statements by Dec 1 on student safety on their campuses. During the hearing, the Bengal govt submitted that it was committed to ensuring the safety and security of students on campus.The division bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai issued the notices while hearing a PIL filed by Rishav Saha last year on student safety at universities. During the hearing on Monday, Saha’s counsel Ritankar Das flagged the recent vandalism and attack on students at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI).Supporters of Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch had on Sunday attempted to break through the gates of SRFTI. The crowd, prevented by police from entering the campus, allegedly hurled bottles and stones targeting students and teachers inside. This was the second disturbance at SRFTI after the Sept 27 clash between students and members of a right-wing group that had held an event at an institute auditorium.Das said the CJ verbally remarked that the SRFTI issue should be treated on an urgent basis. During a previous hearing, Saha had referred to vandalism at Jadavpur University in Aug, after which the CJ said it was the state’s responsibility to guarantee student safety on campuses.On the intervening night of Aug 19 and 20, a large group of outsiders stormed the JU campus and created “fear and insecurity” among students. The crowd allegedly tried to set Aurobindo Bhavan, JU’s administrative headquarters, on fire, threatening the lives of students and others on the campus.The CJ referred to Diamond Harbour Women’s University, the only state-aided university for women in Bengal, urging the authorities to ensure safety of the students.Advocate general Surajit Nath Mitra submitted that the state govt was committed to ensuring the safety and security of students on university campuses. The matter will be heard again on Dec 10.The division bench had earlier asked the state and universities not to treat the PIL as adversarial and said the court would step in if the state failed to discharge its responsibilities.
