Kolkata: Presidency University Students Start Week-Long Protest Against Code Of Conduct Draft

The protesting students have termed the draft as “authoritarian,” and have urged students to believe and promote democratic and liberal values.

Students at Kolkata’s Presidency University have launched a week-long protest on Monday, against a draft code of conduct. The new drafts mandates processions inside the university campus to be carried out following prior approval of the varsity administration. The protest at the university has been organised by students affiliated with the Students Federation of India (SFI). Student members of the CPI-M’s student outfit who also lead the Students Council at the Presidency University Kolkata have termed the draft as "authoritarian step" and urged all students in the campus to believe in democratic and liberal values. The student group also asked fellow students to gather at the university’s portico at College Street. 

"Presidency is a citadel of free thinking and liberal views. It has always supported progressive school of thoughts. We will not tolerate any blueprint to murder democracy in the university campus, or any code of conduct for surveillance in the name of discipline," news agency PTI quoted SFI SFI Presidency unit spokesperson Anandarupta Dhar as saying. She further added that the assembly of further students would constitute a larger movement without interfering with the academic activities at the university. 

Notably, the draft code of conduct at the centre of the debate was circulated last week. The draft underlines that meetings and processions inside the Presidency University campus will only be allowed after prior information and approval from the concerned authorities. The draft also bars students from sharing audio and video clips of activities carried out inside the campus to the media without consent and approval from the administration. Moving ahead, the draft also prohibits students from smoking inside the campus. 

In the matter, Presidency University Dean Of Students Welfare, Arun Maity was reported saying by news agency PTI that the draft code of conduct was circulated among the students seeking their opinion for discipline in the campus and is not binding before a final decision is taken. However, the SFI has hit back in response that if such was the case and intention of the administration, the students should have been sounded around the same, which was not done. 

(With inputs from PTI)

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