Expelled VB students seek to attend classes

He had directed that the varsitys expulsion order be kept in abeyance and allowed the students to rejoin classes.The agitating students had withdrawn their relay fast on Wednesday itself following the High Court order and celebrated it by smearing gulal on each other.The students claimed that when they approached the residence of VC to offer him gulal and flowers they were told Chakraborty didnt want to meet them.The high court had in another interim order on September 3 said no demonstration will be held within 50 m of any portion or part of the institution.

Kolkata, Sep 9 (PTI) All the three expelled postgraduate students of Visva-Bharti on Thursday sent mails to the central university authorities' asking to be allowed to attend classes at the earliest as directed by the Calcutta High Court in an interim order.

The three - Somnath Sow, Falguni Pan and Rupa Chakraborty- sent separate e-mails to the proctor urging him to allow them to attend classes immediately as directed by the HC on Wednesday.

Sow told reporters ''We are yet to get any notification from the university authorities enabling us to join classes.'' The central university's officials were not available for comments.

The three students - two from the university's economics department and the third from the music department were expelled on August 23 for alleged disorderly conduct during a protest meeting in Visva-Bharati campus on January 9. The varsity has been witnessing demonstrations by students against the expulsion since August 27.

The agitating students, who had shifted their demonstration venue over 60 metres away from the main gate of vice-chancellor's official residence since September 3, started dismantling the stage erected for the protestors on Thursday.

''Our non-violent peaceful agitation against the manner of functioning of VC Bidyut Kumar Chakraborty will not stop. But we will not continue the satyagraha for the time being as directed by the high court,'' Sow, an SFI member, said.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha in his interim order had observed on Wednesday that the rustication of the students for three years was harsh and excessive. He had directed that the varsity's expulsion order be kept in abeyance and allowed the students to rejoin classes.

The agitating students had withdrawn their relay fast on Wednesday itself following the High Court order and celebrated it by smearing gulal on each other.

The students claimed that when they approached the residence of VC to offer him gulal and flowers they were told Chakraborty didn't want to meet them.

The high court had in another interim order on September 3 said no demonstration will be held within 50 m of any portion or part of the institution. It had directed the police to remove all demonstrations, banners, barricades and obstruction forthwith outside the official residence of the VC.

The court had also ordered immediate restoration of normal functioning of the central varsity.

Sow had said the students will abide by the court order with regard to the agitation.