New Delhi: Amidst the controversy surrounding a student’s tragic death within the hostel premises, Jadavpur University (JU) has finally appointed a new vice-chancellor (VC) on Saturday night. The University’s chancellor, governor C.V. Ananda Bose, appointed Buddadeb Sau, a mathematics faculty member, as the officiating VC.
Due to Sau’s association with unions that have links to the RSS-BJP and his past social media activity, concerns have been raised about the appointment. Some critics also say he lacks the qualifications to satisfy the criteria laid out by the Supreme Court.
In a state university like JU, the VC is normally appointed after the exertions of a five member search committee comprising nominees of the state government, the governor, the University Grants Commission and the Higher Education Council. In the present case, state government officials allege the governor acted unilaterally, without even consulting the state education department.
Sau was unanimously elected as the president of the 26-member state executive committee of Jatiyatabadi Aadhyapak O Gabeshak Sangha in December 2021. This organisation is the Bengal unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM), which has links to both the RSS and the BJP.
Additionally, Sau has also been an active member of the All Bengal University Teachers’ Association (ABUTA) JU chapter, known for its connections to SUCI and WEBCUPA – the teachers’ wing of the Trinamool Congress.
The tenure of JU’s last full-time vice-chancellor Suranjan Das ended on May 31. Following that, the governor appointed Amitabha Datta, the pro-VC of the varsity, as the officiating vice-chancellor.
Earlier this month, Sau led a delegation of teachers to the governor and made an official complaint against Datta, claiming that the latter was running the campus through an ad-hoc mechanism. This led to Datta‘s removal.
After he was appointed as officiating VC, Sau’s past social media activity has attracted attention. On Facebook, he has shared a homophobic meme, while another presents a meme with questionable content regarding women. He has also expressed support for economic status as the criteria for reservations, not caste, aligning with the Sangh’s agenda. Sau has also shared a post endorsing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Screenshots of some posts that Buddadeb Sau has shared.
In the aftermath of his appointment, The Wire had messaged Sau three questions. They were:
- Does he support caste-based reservation? If yes, why did he share anti-reservation memes?
- What is his stand on LGBTQ+ rights? Why did he share what is largely being considered a homophobic meme?
- Sau had led a delegation to the governor following which Amitabha Dutta, his predecessor, was removed from the VC’s post. What was this delegation’s complaints?
Sau on August 22 responded to these questions with a series of texts. He did not specify which of his comments were in response to which question. The Wire is reproducing his texts in full, in the order in which he sent them:
“If I show my concern against something wrong in human beings, then do you think I am anti-human? I am not against LGBTQ+, but I am showing, my concern that girl children should not be neglected.
“Your post is good. Because you have something confusion about my thinking. But my students and friends know me, what is I am.”
“Only I have expressed my views in some witty manner. Nothing else. If you really want it, you must get it. Self confidence is the only plan.
Presumably on the last question, Sau said, “I did not complain against anybody. Probably that was the reason to believe me.”
“I believe reservation is required, but in some better way so that needy students will get it.”
Reactions to appointment
Sau’s appointment has sparked widespread outrage and scepticism. Critics point to a Supreme Court ruling that stipulated that a VC must possess a minimum of 10 years of teaching experience as a professor in a university, which according to them, Sau falls short of.
“This appointment raises questions about his eligibility. The ongoing power struggle between the Trinamool Congress and the governor over the VC position is further undermining the state’s educational institutions,” commented Sujan Chakraborty, a CPI(M) leader and an alumnus of the University.
Nilasis Basu, a leader of CPI-ML, said that the governor has “capitalised” on the turmoil in the university to “indirectly pave the way for the RSS’s involvement” through the new VC. “This manoeuvring is part of a larger trend wherein individuals are strategically placed at the helm of the nation’s educational institutions to undermine their integrity. This has been seen at institutions like Visva-Bharati. Now, the focus is on Jadavpur University. By complying with directives from the central government, the Governor has placed an individual with insufficient professorial experience as VC,” Basu added.
“If the BJP-RSS continues their efforts to infiltrate Jadavpur University in this manner, it’s anticipated that resistance from the university’s students will grow stronger. Jadavpur University stands firm against the influence of the RSS,” the AISA leader remarked.
“The governor has made Jadavpur University a lab for his experiments. We would get to know the result soon. Those who have been arrested [in connection with the student’s death] are all left-wing activists. It’s clear who all were involved,” said Trinankur Bhattacharya, state president of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad.
In recent times, the BJP has been making attempts to establish a foothold within the precincts of JU, where its sphere of influence has been limited. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari last week visited Jadavpur and said that the BJP after having “taught a lesson” to the so-called ‘Tukde-tukde’ gang in JNU, will “cleanse” Jadavpur as well. The “tukde-tukde gang” is a catch-all phrase that the BJP uses to refer to its critics.
“A mock fight is underway between the state and central governments. Elaborate efforts are being made to camouflage the grave issues at Jadavpur. I don’t know how long this charade will continue,” said Geetashree Sarkar, who was in the news in 2014 for refusing to take the gold medal and degree from the then Governor during the university’s annual convocation in a show of protest against the police crackdown on protesting students in the campus.
SFI leader Mayukh Biswas said that Jadavpur University is among the best universities in the country but is still grappling with a severe financial crisis. “Instead of providing assistance, the Trinamool Congress and BJP are engaging in a struggle to deteriorate the university’s reputation. BJP is attempting to enter through the door left open by their representative to the Vice-Chancellor’s position. In the past, they created discord between the state government and the Governor in Kannur, Kerala, in a similar fashion. Our demand is for the punishment of the culprits [in the student’s suicide], and to protect the campus,” Biswas said.
Critics of Hindutva ideology fear that like it did with JNU, the BJP plans to gain a foothold in JU by appointing those sympathetic to its ideology in high positions. These critics say that by advocating for revisions that prioritise a specific historical, cultural, and religious perspective, the Hindutva movement aims to reshape the educational landscape in India, raising concerns about the role of academia in nurturing a free-thinking, diverse, inclusive, and tolerant citizenry.
With inputs from Joydeep Sarkar.
This article has been updated with the new JU V-C’s responses to The Wire’s questions.