"A sudden imposition of Hindutva politics in our free democratic space": Clashes erupt at Jadavpur University over the screening of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha ceremony

Triggered by disagreements over the live-streaming of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on campus, violent confrontations broke out between two opposing groups of students at Jadavpur University on Monday.

Students who had intended to broadcast the Ram Mandir Consecration ceremony on campus faced opposition from authorities. In response, they gathered at the Green Zone, displaying orange flags adorned with images of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman, chanting "Jai Sri Ram." Another student group, representing diverse campus organizations, strongly objected to the chanting of "religious" slogans, sparking a clash between the two factions and resulting in widespread disorder. "This is not the culture of Jadavpur University. We do not understand the sudden imposition of Hindutva politics in our free democratic space. The BJP is ardently trying to saffronise our campus space," asserted Sammyodorshi, a student of Journalism and Mass Communication at the university.

Students advocating for the screening of the Ram Mandir ceremony questioned the feasibility of protests coming from the various student organisations, emphasizing that if an annual Iftaar party and celebrations like Saraswati Puja and Durga Puja can take place on campus, there should be no reason why the "homecoming" of Lord Ram cannot be celebrated. "They say this is a free space, then why are they not letting us celebrate Lord Ram? We did nothing, we were peacefully chanting slogans, and holding saffron flags when the students charged at us. All we wanted was to celebrate the victory of all the Hindus, we wanted to celebrate the homecoming of Lord Ram," said Aditya Kumar Singh. The police had to intervene to disperse the crowds and bring the situation under control.

Amid escalating tension marked by sporadic violent encounters, the faculty and extended teaching staff of Jadavpur University intervened to quell the clashes. Professors created a human chain between the two conflicting student groups and some sustained injuries in the process. "This not desirable, we are here, the teachers are all here to solve the matter as soon as possible," said Iman Kalyan Lahiri, Professor of the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University.

The student bodies of Jadavpur University have maintained that the current situation was a deliberate effort by the BJP to suppress dissent and impose a "curfew-like" campus environment. A group of students emphasized their determination not to allow such "divisive elements", accusing the BJP of attempting to tarnish the university's ethos with communal politics. Furthermore, they alleged that the individuals causing disruptions were not affiliated with the university but rather party members of the BJP.

The Netaji Idealistic Forum of Jadavpur University on Friday circulated a poster inviting students to the "Shri Ram Pran Pratishtha Utsav," involving live streaming of the Ram Mandir Consecration ceremony at the Parking lot, followed by a "havan" and "prasad" distribution. Subsequently, different political organisations within Jadavpur University expressed their disapproval of the event taking to social media. "We condemn the culture of nonscientific temper in the university space and the usage of an educational institution for propagating religious activities," said the SFI in a statement.

In addition to the university's political groups, the general student body expressed dissent towards screening the Ram Mandir Consecration ceremony. The Department of Sociology emphasized the need for an inclusive academic environment, while the Departments of English, Comparative Literature, Economics, and International Relations released statements opposing the event.​​