'Students should remember they've come to study and not stay at Hindu Hostel'

KOLKATA: Anuradha Lohia, Vice-Chancellor of Presidency University on Tuesday blamed the students for forcing the authorities to hold the convocation at Nandan III, instead of Derozio Auditorium which is housed inside the campus.

The convocation was held in the absence of Chancellor Keshari Nath Tripathi and the students of the university.

At the beginning of the convocation, Professor Lohia said: "The students who are creating trouble should remember that they have come to study at Presidency University and not to stay in Hindu Hostel."

She said the Hindu Hostel building is 130 years old. When she took over as the Vice-Chancellor of the university in 2014, the students had approached her and told her that the hostel had become uninhabitable.

"The state government was approached and it took some time to put everything in order," she said.

The problem started on Monday, when some agitating students did not allow Professor Lohia and the university Registrar to enter the campus. The students demanded immediate accommodation in the Hindu Hostel and shouted slogans.

State Education minister Partha Chatterjee had criticised the students and said: "They have inherited the legacy of shouting slogans from the Left Front regime." It was then decided that the convocation would be held at Raj Bhavan, but soon the Governor expressed his inability to be present at the function.

Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee was given honorary D.Litt at the event. Chatterjee felt that the students and the university authorities should have a talk to resolve the impasse.