Jadavpur University, one of West Bengal’s prestigious institutions, has once again become a flashpoint for controversy. This time, the campus walls have been marked with graffiti reading ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine,’ sparking a heated debate. The discovery of these messages has led to rising tensions, with student protests, increased police presence, and clashes between politically affiliated student groups escalating the situation.
One of the controversial paintings appeared on the wall near Gate Number 3 of the university, also carrying a statement calling for the elimination of fascist forces. However, the identity of the organisation behind the graffiti remains unknown.
Amid the growing uproar, the left-wing organisation Students’ Federation of India (SFI) distanced itself from separatist sentiments.
It is pertinent to mention here that the University has been in news since March 1, when two students were injured when the convoy of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu and an accompanying vehicle allegedly grazed past them during a protest led by leftist student groups. The incident took place as students gathered to submit a memorandum of demands to the minister. Some students even climbed onto the vehicle, attempting to stop his departure.
Amidst the chaos, a student suffered head and leg injuries after being struck by the car. The incident escalated tensions between student groups, particularly the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) and the Student Federation of India (SFI), with both sides accusing each other of provocation and violence. The SFI, along with SUCI (Communist)’s All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), Naxalite Revolutionary Students’ Front (RSF), and Naxalite All India Students’ Association (AISA), launched an indefinite sit-in protest in front of the university’s administrative building.
Following the March 1 incident, an FIR was lodged against Education Minister Bratya Basu, senior faculty member, and TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra.
On March 7, these leftist student groups issued a warning that if their demands were not met, they would enforce a complete shutdown of the university’s administrative functions starting at 2 PM on March 10.
In the new controversy graffiti with slogans such as “Azad Kashmir” and “Free Palestine” appeared on the walls near Gate 3 of Jadavpur University. The graffiti, featuring a hand holding flowers entwined with barbed wire, sparked outrage and led to legal action.
Beyond Jadavpur University: 20 instances highlighting SFI’s history of campus violence across Bharat
Reports: Shashank Kumar Dwivedi#JadavpurUniversity #SFIhttps://t.co/MMg1DV7T3D
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) March 3, 2025
The Kolkata Police registered a case under Section 61(ii) (criminal conspiracy) and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalizes activities threatening India’s sovereignty and unity.
While police suspect the involvement of Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF), no specific group has claimed responsibility. The university’s Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit president Kishalay Roy accused ultra-left student groups of being behind the graffiti, whereas SFI’s JU unit leader Abhinaba Basu stated that while SFI supports the Palestinian cause, it does not endorse secessionist slogans.
Om Prakash Mishra, a senior faculty member and TMC-leaning academician, condemned the graffiti, stating that the university does not support any form of secessionist propaganda. However, when he visited the campus on March 10, he was met with protest slogans such as “BJP-TMC dictatorship se azadi” and “Go back.”
Another point of contention arose on March 10 when around 30 police personnel in plain clothes were spotted inside the university premises. Students, especially from left-wing groups, accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of attempting to intimidate them by deploying police officers without prior notification.
SFI leader Souryadipto Roy stated that students refused to engage in discussions with the administration until police officers vacated the campus.
Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy condemned the presence of police officers on campus, emphasising that neither the administration nor faculty had called them.
ABUTA office-bearer Goutam Maity called the police presence “unfortunate.” University officials denied calling the police, stating that they were stationed outside for security reasons since March 1. The administration assured that classes would resume normally from the following day.
On March 3, tensions further escalated as violent clashes broke out between TMC’s student wing and SFI members over student union elections, which have not been conducted at Jadavpur University for the past five years. Protesters demanded the reinstatement of elections, blaming the Mamata Banerjee-led state government for delaying the process.
Videos circulating online show students engaged in physical altercations.
Chronology of Events
• March 1: Education Minister Bratya Basu’s convoy injures students during a protest; FIR lodged against Basu and Om Prakash Mishra.
• March 3: Violent clashes between TMC and SFI over student elections.
• March 7: Leftist student groups threaten a university shutdown if their demands are not met.
• March 10: Graffiti controversy erupts; police presence in civil dress causes student outrage.
• March 12: Protesters demand the removal of police personnel from campus and the repeal of cases against students.
Minister in the Mamata government, Bratya Basu, criticised the recent protests, stating, “The demonstrations have exposed the true nature of the SFI as undemocratic and uncontrollable.
They even raised slogans against the teaching community.” He further remarked, “Those who claim to be fighting against the saffronisation of the country and championing democracy and anti-fascism have now aligned with fascist forces to protest against me and members of the teaching community. This happened because we refused to bow to their pressure tactics and intimidation strategies.”
Basu also accused both the BJP and the Left of working together to disrupt the peaceful environment on campus, saying, “Ram (BJP) and Vam (Left) have joined hands to create unrest. They even assaulted one of our members.”
Ironically, in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, even SFI—an organisation with a long history of political violence and disregarding established systems to make its point, is now struggling to find space for dissent. They are, in a way, experiencing their own tactics being used against them. Mamata, despite being a long-time proponent of communist ideology, appears to have no tolerance for communist voices, even when they come from student organisations.
Organiser Weekly has recently compiled a list of 20 instances across Bharat where SFI engaged in violent protests and disruptions, which largely go unreported. As the student wing of CPI(M), SFI has a long track record of aggressive activism, often resorting to undemocratic methods to push its agenda. Its disruptive footprint is not limited to West Bengal, where the state administration itself faces accusations of suppressing student freedoms, but extends across the country.
Now, as political dynamics shift in West Bengal, SFI seems to be facing the same kind of suppression and aggression it once imposed on others—bringing full circle the tactics it long wielded against its adversaries.
Jadavpur University remains a hotbed of ideological and political conflicts, with tensions between student groups, faculty, and the ruling administration showing no signs of abating. Whether these controversies will lead to meaningful dialogue or further escalate tensions remains to be seen.
