The recent clashes involving student groups at universities in West Bengal have brought the issue of outsider entry on campuses before the Calcutta High Court. A fresh plea has been moved seeking an urgent hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that calls for a ban on the entry of outsiders into university campuses across the state.
A PIL on the same issue is already pending before the Calcutta High Court. The fresh plea was moved before a division bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra, seeking an early hearing in view of the recent incidents reported at university campuses. According to court sources, the matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on September 16 before Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty.
The PIL takes note of clashes involving different student groups at university campuses in the state. Recent tensions at south Kolkata’s Jadavpur University have brought particular attention to the issue, with activists associated with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) involved in clashes. Reports said the confrontation at Jadavpur University escalated into protests and further tension around the campus.
The plea, however, is not restricted to Jadavpur University. The petitioner has sought a prohibition on the entry of outsiders into university campuses across West Bengal. The argument is that the presence and activities of outsiders can disturb the academic atmosphere and affect the normal functioning of educational institutions.
Clashes Continued After Earlier PIL
The petitioner has argued that incidents involving rival student groups have continued even after the PIL was filed. The plea particularly points to the situation at Jadavpur University, where concerns over outsider entry and campus disturbances have been raised for some time.
The issue had also reached the High Court in August following the violence at Jadavpur University. At that time, a lawyer had sought immediate intervention from the court after a clash between ABVP and Left-leaning student groups. The court subsequently agreed to hear an older case concerning the prevention of outsiders from entering university and college campuses.
Against this backdrop, the latest plea seeks an urgent hearing, arguing that judicial intervention is necessary to protect the academic environment and ensure that educational institutions can function without disruption.
The September 16 hearing will therefore be closely watched, as the court considers the plea seeking restrictions on outsider entry across West Bengal’s university campuses. Any directions from the court could have implications for campus security, student activities and the functioning of universities across the state.
