JU scores a 1st: Website shows new political ground reality

Kolkata: The website of Jadavpur University (JU) website has become the first among the state's prominent universities to reflect the new political reality on the ground. A poster of Kreeda Bharati, a sports organisation founded by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is posted on the website, starting off a debate among teachers, students and alumni.The poster is about an event, scheduled to be held on Red Road on the occasion of International Yoga Day on June 21. With ‘Bharat Matar Joy Hok' written on it, the poster features images of several yoga poses and asanas and a few mantras to highlight the benefits of yoga for wellness and to make India ‘Vishwaguru'.JU vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee said, "They sent the poster for wide circulation and invited me to the International Yoga Day event. They said the governor would also be present. Yoga is good and is recognised world-wide. As it was meant for wide circulation, it was posted on the university website. We don't need to overthink. If Leftists conduct a constructive programme and send something, I will post that, too. There is no problem."Jayanti Mandal Sarkar, sampadika of Kreeda Bharati Dakshin Bango Prant, said, "We visited JU and met the head of the institute two or three days ago. We handed him the poster and invited him to the event. We will again call him on or after June 8 to get the updates on the number of participants from the university. We are reaching out to different institutes as well as sports organisations to ensure spontaneous participation in the event." Karyalay pramukh of Kreeda Bharati Dakshin Bango Prant Ghanashyam Chowrasia said, "Kreeda Bharati, established in 1992, was founded by RSS to promote physical fitness, character-building and serving the nation. At the International Yoga Day event, Bengal governor R N Ravi will be the patron in chief."But the poster of an organisation, which is not part of the university, on JU's official website has not gone down well with a large number of students, teachers and alumni. "This is deeply concerning as a poster of an event of a right-wing group, which has nothing to do with the university, has been uploaded on the official website," said mechanical engineering student Aditya Mandal. "If the purpose is to celebrate International Yoga Day, we have a physical education department and sports board. The move seems more like endorsing the ideology. This will weaken students' trust in the administration." Bengali department professor Rajyeswar Sinha said, "Publishing anything unrelated to the university on the official website is neither permissible by rules nor desirable by ethics."Tarun Kanti Naskar, alumni and former professor, who taught at JU for four decades, said, "How could the university authorities upload the poster by Kreeda Bharati, an organisation founded by the RSS in 1992, celebrating International Yoga Day? The university is an autonomous institute. What connection could it possibly have with the RSS? This action has tarnished the prestige of a premier educational institute, like JU. As a former student and a retired teacher of the university, I protest and demand the immediate removal of this notification."