Jadavpur University students end hunger strike as Mamata Banerjee announces V-C's resignation

KOLKATA: A longstanding impasse at the Jadavpur University (JU) came to an end on Monday following chief minister Mamata Banerjee's sudden visit to the campus and her announcement that the vice-chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty would resign.

JU students had been demanding Chakraborty's resignation for the past five months after the vice-chancellor called the police inside the campus to free himself from gherao by the students. The police had resorted to lathicharge on the agitating students to free the vice-chancellor, something which did not go down well with the students. Even after the incident, Chakraborty refused to step down. The government too, had confirmed his appointment last year by ignoring the students demand.

Students, last week, began a fast unto death to press for their demands. On visiting the campus on Monday, the chief minister said the vice-chancellor, through a SMS to the higher education minister Partha Chatterjee, wanted to step down. The CM's announcement was greeted with loud cheers by the agitating students who also announced an end to their hunger strike.

Mamata was accompanied by Chatterjee and another minister Arup Biswas. She visited the campus to meet the ailing students who were on a fast. But her sudden announcement about the V-C's resignation had stunned everyone including the agitating students, teachers and guardians, many of whom went on a token hunger strike to express solidarity with the agitating students.