No outsider can create trouble in colleges: CM

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday strongly argued in favour of setting up students' council in colleges instead of unions and in one breath said no outsider will be allowed to create trouble in colleges.

"I am in favour of setting up students' council instead of unions in colleges like the model followed by St Xavier's University and Lady Brabourne College," she said while addressing a mammoth rally to celebrate the foundation day of Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) on Mayo Road. For quite some time, the Chief Minister has been speaking about students' council instead of unions in colleges. While attending a function of St Xavier's University few months back, she had appreciated the model followed in the institution and remarked that it should be followed in all the colleges throughout the state.

It may be recalled that state Education minister Partha Chatterjee on Sunday had announced that the department was set up to introduce students' council and students with 60 percent attendance will be allowed to take part in the election for the posts of general secretary and assistant general secretary. The system of electing class representatives will be abolished. Earlier, Banerjee had said that holding elections in colleges every year was "a sheer waste of energy."

Banerjee said doing politics in student life was not a bad thing but it should be done in the positive direction. She urged the students to develop better relationship with teachers and take part in social work. She reiterated that the state government will not allow outsiders to create trouble in colleges. "The outsiders should not intervene in the functioning of colleges and those caught will be dealt with seriously," she maintained. She said the state government has set up new colleges and universities and through various schemes has helped girl students and those coming from backward classes and minority communities to pursue higher education. She urged the students to foil attempts to vitiate society by introducing divisive politics and communal cards by those with vested interests. Urging the students to be active on social media, she said: "I am active on Twitter and Facebook and want my students to remain active on social media and protest against the canard and false news that are being circulated by some people with vested interests." She told students not to get depressed and do everything with a positive outlook. Students from all over the state attended Monday's rally.