North Bengal University depts shut down as protests erupt

The University of North Bengal (NBU) witnessed protests by contractual workers of the university. On Wednesday, members of the Sara Bangla Trinamool Shiksha Bandhu Samity of University of North Bengal wing, an organisation of contractual workers of the university, locked the ‘Watch and Ward’ department of the university and staged a protest in front of the department. Therefore, all the departments were closed on this day. Students had to go back without attending classes.

Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor (V-C), registrar have not been coming to the university for a long time. Therefore, a deadlock has been created at the university. Students are in trouble due to the present situation of the university.

Recently, the contractual workers of NBU had allegedly joined a movement demanding a 16 per cent increment in their salary. Later, a circulation was released where it was mentioned that a 10 per cent salary increase would take place.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose issued a fresh notification and revoked the increment announced earlier. This sparked protests.

Tanmoy Bagchi, spokesperson of Sara Bangla Trinamool Shiksha Bandhu Samity, said: “Now, this is not a protest only for salary. It has become a big movement. The chancellor is not giving importance to us. He isn’t concerned about the university. The movement will be larger.”