Campus fury hits new low, goons open fire in college

RAIGANJ: Gunmen allegedly hired by a section of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) supporters opened fire inside Raiganj University College during class hours on Monday morning, adding a terrifying new dimension to student violence on Bengal campuses. In the ensuing clashes, at least seven Chha-tra Parishad students were injured.
The gunfire triggered pandemonium on campus.Students scattered in panic while teachers locked themselves up in rooms. They were later escorted out by armed police.
Only two days ago, alleged TMCP supporters had beaten a student to death in Sabang College. Monday’s violence is an indication of Trinamool’s determination to crush the Opposition before the 2016 assembly polls. Like the Sabang college in West Midnapore, Chhatra Parishad (CP) holds sway over Raiganj College students’ union, prompting an all-out takeover bid by Trinamool. Among those injured in Raiganj is the district CP president.
This is not the first time that TMCP unleashed violence in Raiganj College. The principal and several students were mercilessly beaten up by TMCP supporters in 2012, sending ripples through the corridors in power in Delhi. The murder of Krishna Prasad Jana in Sabang also triggered countrywide outrage but Trinamool didn’t take any lesson.
On Monday, 25-30 youths led by TMCP leader Ajay Sarkar laid siege to the campus at 3.15 pm. Some of them were armed with rods and sticks while a few carried firearms.
Bid to capture union triggers violence
Chhatra Parishad district president Nabendu Ghosh was on campus then with some supporters. On seeing Ghosh, the armed men rushed towards him leading to a clash between the two groups. Three gunshots rang out. CP supporters ran for their lives, but seven of them — including Ghosh — were caught and beaten up brutally. They were taken to hospital while the armed gang vandalized the college’s accounts section.
“TMCP goons launched a planned attack to take control of the college while admission is going on. Today they targeted me and our state leader Prasenjit Das and wanted to kill us, the way they did it in Sabang. CCTV footage of the college will bear out the truth,” Ghosh said from his hospital bed. As many as 11 people — including the district Youth Congress president — were arrested and later released on bail.
TMCP leader Ajoy Sarkar denied the charges and accused CP of intimidating students who wanted to switch to Trinamool. “Students are disgusted with CP and want to join us. But CP leaders won’t allow that. Today some of our students went to the college to enquire about it. CP supporters assaulted us because they won’t allow the college to run smoothly,” Sarkar said. Angry Chhatra Parishad supporters later blocked NH34 near Siliguri More for over one hour.
An attempt to capture the students’ union lies at the root of Monday’s violence. Chhatra Parishad has been at the helm of the union for several years. Now the CP tenure is over and the students’ union stands dissolved. Tension was building up in the college since the beginning of admission season and TMCP timed the attack to drive out CP and take first-year students in its fold, say sources. DIG (Malda range) Satyajit Banerjee said, “I’ve sought a detailed report. Violence on campus will not be tolerated.”