Organized destruction of democratic rights in University of Calcutta

To
The Governor of West Bengal
ex-officio Chancellor , University of Calcutta

We write this petition to protest the violation of democratic rights of students, organized attack on free speech on campus as well as blatant abetting of the heinous actions of the Students Federation of India (SFI) controlled RajaBazar Science College students union by the public servants of the University of Calcutta, as per press reports in the Calcutta Telegraph on Aug 29 and 30, 2007.

The SFI- controlled Rajabazar Science College students union distributed forms which incoming students were forced to fill up.In those forms, the incoming students had to disclose their political affiliations and leanings in their undergraduate institution.The students are being asked to state whether they were involved with the union in their undergraduate college; if yes, how.These forms have been distributed by SFI leaders from the Office of the University of Calcutta's Science secretary.This gave the incoming students an impression that this was part of some official process.When incoming students protested, the university employees in the secretary's office defended the SFI student union.The Science Secretary Mr.Shyamal Sarkar described the action of such information collection from incoming students to be "noble" and is "in the dark" about other queries.Such blatant collusion , between a political grouping and public servants of the university in subverting and undermining the democratic rights of students goes against the spirit of the university and a democratic society in general.

As a group of people committed to uphold the democratic freedom of speech and democratic rights in educational institutions of West Bengal and elsewhere, we urge you to immediately take steps such that -

1.The incoming students are not terrorized or forced by the students union to disclose personal information under any pretext.

2.Any person(s) who planned, executed, aided or abetted this blatant violation of privacy and rights to free speech of students be brought to book.

3.The Science Secretary, Shyamal Sarkar be asked to show the cause of his allowance of his office to be used to violate the privacy and democratic rights of students.

4.Steps be taken to end the unholy nexus between public servants of the university, the government and political parties so that the universities can function independently as autonomous centres of free speech , learning and research without state or political coercion.