Narasinha Dutt College in Howrah is embroiled in controversy following the viral circulation of a video allegedly depicting severe ragging, bringing to light long-standing issues of campus safety and external interference. The incident has drawn sharp criticism and renewed calls for stricter enforcement against campus violence, echoing concerns raised by recent high-profile cases like the alleged rape at a Kolkata law college.
Principal Blames External Interference and Police Inaction
In a dramatic statement, College Principal Soma Bandyopadhyay revealed that students had previously complained about the accused, Souvik Roy, identified as a leader of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP). “Students had complained about this incident earlier,” Principal Bandyopadhyay stated. “The matter was discussed in a GB (Governing Body) meeting, and Souvik was barred from entering the college.”
However, she expressed frustration over the inability to prevent outsiders from entering the campus. “We cannot stop outsiders from entering. Security guards are threatened if they try to intervene. There is hooliganism in the college,” she asserted. Even more critically, the Principal highlighted a perceived lack of support from law enforcement, stating, “Repeatedly informing the police has yielded no results.”
Principal Bandyopadhyay further clarified that Souvik Roy was an ex-student at the time of the alleged incident, yet he continued to frequent the college, even appearing at college events.
Prior Complaints and Failed Verification
The Principal also disclosed that the victimized students had first approached the police and political party leaders before formally complaining to the college. She noted the college’s inability to verify the authenticity of the viral video independently.
Following the complaints, the Governing Body decided to bar outsiders from the college premises and ordered the union room to be closed during examinations. Despite these measures, Principal Bandyopadhyay admitted that 24-hour surveillance is impossible. “Most of the time they (outsiders) enter the college. They threaten the guards,” she said, while maintaining that “sufficient measures have been taken by the Governing Body.”
Allegations of Prior Ragging and Political Inaction
Further details reveal that the current accusations against Souvik Roy stem from an alleged ragging incident in the union room of Narasinha Dutt College in February of last year. At that time, Roy was identified as the state vice-president of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad.
The viral video reportedly shows new students being forced to remove their pants and expose their genitals, which was then filmed on mobile phones. This footage later went viral.
In response to the initial incident, Sourav Prasad, then president of the Chhatra Parishad, held a press conference in February last year, demanding the arrest of the accused Souvik Roy. During that conference, Prasad expressed grave concerns about the deteriorating state of education in West Bengal’s colleges and called for administrative intervention. Despite these demands, there have been allegations that no action was taken against the TMC student leader.
Echoes of the Law College Rape Case: A Broader Crisis?
The disturbing events at Narasinha Dutt College resonate with recent, more egregious incidents of violence on educational campuses, including the deeply unsettling alleged rape case at a law college in Kolkata. Both situations highlight a systemic vulnerability within educational institutions to external influence, a perceived lack of accountability for those in positions of power or with political affiliations, and a distressing failure of law enforcement to adequately protect students.
The Narasinha Dutt College incident, while focused on ragging, underscores a broader crisis of safety and discipline within West Bengal’s higher education system, demanding urgent and comprehensive action from both college administrations and state authorities.
