Kolkata:
When a group of student activists from her party were seen on camera thrashing a college principal, Mamata Banerjee dismissed the attack on the Raiganj College campus as a minor matter. The Chief Minister of West Bengal also alleged that the Congress and the CPM were conspiring "to turn a molehill into a mountain."
That incident - which took place on January 5 - was followed by two other attacks on principals by students affiliated to political parties. In both cases, the principals were moved to hospital. On January 7 (Saturday), CPM students in Majhdia beat up their headmaster. And then on Wednesday, the principal at Rampurhat College fainted after being crowded and heckled by Trinamool and Congress student activists for hours.
Ms Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress, which is linked to two of the three attacks, feels no apology is necessary. In fact, Trinamool youth workers who were arrested for their alleged role in the cases were released within hours. CPM student activists, on the other hand, were arrested on non-bailable charges and remain in prison. "Respect cannot be demanded, respect has to be earned and the principals have to behave," said Bobby Hakim, a minister in Ms Banerjee's government.
The West Bengal Governor has joined those who believe that the government must impress upon students that violence on campus will not be tolerated. "I think teachers, principals and others are very important people in our lives, and if students are taking to rowdy habits then I think they should be dealt with strongly," he said.
But it's not clear what he can achieve. The Education Minister has called a meeting of all student unions on the 17th. The line the government takes there will play a huge role in whether on-campus violence sees a correction.