Kolkata: Authorities of Visva Bharati university have urged the Ministry of Human Resources Development to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans on the campus for security enhancement.
Copies of the letter have been sent to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the Acharya of the university.
Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty felt that the security of the university, which is at present manned by security personnel deployed by a private agency having connection with a political party, was not adequate.
Chakraborty felt as the private party had a close connection with local political leaders of a particular party, the security personnel were being guided by them and they do not take prompt action when required.
Because of the political affiliation of the agency, university authorities have failed to take action against the security personnel, the V-C said.
It may be recalled that MHRD is sitting on a file sent by the Benaras Hindu University ( BHU) with a similar request in 2017.
The proposal has created a flutter among students. They said the university had hiked the tuition fees arbitrarily.
They raised their voices against the decision of the university to hike the fees and gheraoed the V-C and other senior teachers of the university. Finally, the university authorities had to drop the proposal to increase the fees.
Students felt the university has proposed to deploy CISF personnel to stop students' movements.
The proposal to deploy CISF personnel at Visva Bharati has not gone down well with the teachers. They said it would be wrong to equate Visva Bharati premises with other central government establishments, which are being manned by CISF.
"Deployment of paramilitary forces in front of V-C's chamber and other areas will not paint a good picture about the varsity. Hundreds of foreigners come to Visva Bharati every year. What impression will they get about the university if they find paramilitary forces on the campus," said a teacher at the varsity.