Kolkata Campuses: Politics Persists, Minus Union Elections Or Space To Dissent

A climate of fear seems to have gripped Kolkata’s college campuses under the rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which has left very little room for dissent or even dialogue. The Calcutta High Court recently ordered the closure of all ‘union rooms’ in colleges until fresh elections are held, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the delayed student union elections in most state-run colleges. Many have not had elections for over a decade. Despite this, union rooms remain active and student union fees continue to be collected on many campuses.

The issue surfaced following the alleged gangrape of a first-year student at South Calcutta Law College on June 25, exactly a month ago. The prime accused in the case, Monojit Misra, reportedly has links to the ruling party—there has been no official acknowledgement of a connection, but members of the public dug up old social media posts showing him fraternising with TMC leaders. The college campus also has a graffiti on a prominent wall that reads, ‘Monojit [Misra] Dada is in our hearts.’

The gangrape case at South Calcutta Law College echoes the rape and killing of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College in August 2024, raising serious questions about safety and accountability in educational institutions. It has also raised concerns about the role of so-called history-sheeters—those with criminal cases already filed against them—who roam about on college campuses and direct or lead unions and university politics.

The ‘union dada’ is a common character in Kolkata colleges: a male senior student, sometimes even former students who still visit college campus to mingle with younger students, asking them to participate in political events and boasting about their connections with top party leaders. This is not a TMC specific phenomena but one that exists across all parties.

'Union Elections Regular Until 2011'

On July 3, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to shut down all student union rooms in colleges and universities until elections are conducted. Education Minister Bratya Basu confirmed on July 8 that the government is drafting a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to comply with the court’s order.

The PIL was filed by Advocate Sayan Banerjee, who told Outlook that this is not the first time that he has raised the issue. “Although unions are defunct, student union fees are still collected. In some cases, students and alumni even use these rooms during festivals and events,” he said.

Banerjee had also filed a PIL in 2023, after a first-year student died in a fall at the Jadavpur University hostel. Though that case did not progress far, in the fresh PIL, the court on July 17 asked the state government to clarify how it plans to conduct student body elections.

According to Banerjee, not holding proper student union elections violates the 2006 Supreme Court verdict that made such polls mandatory under the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines. He said that the only exceptions were elections at Jadavpur University and Presidency University, held in 2020.

Banerjee attributes the change to political interference. “Before 2011, union elections were regular on Bengal campuses. Once the TMC came to power, that democratic practice was effectively shut down.”

Referring to incidents at South Calcutta Law College, RG Kar Medical College, and Jadavpur University, he said, “Many of these atrocities could have been avoided if there wasn’t this autocratic control by the ruling party. Even if student elections are not political in nature, the presence of opposition voices and ideological diversity is crucial. It can prevent many of the issues we now see.”

Political Influence In Kolkata Campuses

Most students Outlook contacted were unwilling to speak or requested anonymity—indicative of the fear that pervades many institutions.

At Ashutosh College, a stronghold of the TMC’s student wing (Trinamool Chhatra Parishad) since the party came to power, massive posters of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and youth leader Abhishek Banerjee have long hung over the campus. A third-year student told Outlook that only 10 out of 52 students in her class had not joined that union. “There was some pressure early on, but I wasn’t forced to participate,” she said. “My cousin is in the union—maybe that helped. Others often join just to get help with administrative work.”

She also revealed that the most visible misuse of power by these unions is in the college admission process, where seats are allegedly blocked and sold at exorbitant prices. A student from Behala College confirmed this, saying, “My friend paid Rs 85,000 for a seat at Ashutosh College.”

This isn’t news. In 2018, when similar complaints surfaced, Chief Minister Banerjee herself made a surprise visit to Ashutosh College and urged her Education Minister to act. Yet, the allegations persist.

The 21-year-old Behala College student noted that the TMC union in the campus, is mostly run by former students and no elections have been held during her three years on campus. “They’re involved in rallies, sometimes even asking students to skip class. But when it comes to infrastructure problems or actual help, they’re absent,” she says. “I avoid the union room entirely as I do not want to get involved in their politics.”

Uttara Das, from Heramba Chandra College, shared a similar experience: poor infrastructure, no sign of elections and an unresponsive union. While recreational events are organised, she says, “When it comes to solving a problem, they’re nowhere to be found.” However, she says that she felt safe on campus and did not witness harassment.

At Jogomaya Devi College, which shares its premises with Ashutosh College, a student says that the Students Federation of India (SFI) union affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) holds sway and not the TMC. “They’re not very influential. I didn’t see any issues related to the union,” she says. She recalls a molestation case, allegedly involving a TMC student from Ashutosh College, which sparked protests but was soon forgotten.

Unions: Student-First Or Party-First?

Sainik Bhattacharjee, a third-year student at Jadavpur University, says that while a TMC-affiliated student wing exists in his university, it is not very active. “The more dominant student bodies here are left-aligned, independent or strongly anti-establishment,” he says.

Asked about misogynistic or coercive campus behavior, Bhattacharjee says, “Like any institution, Jadavpur [University] has gender-related issues—sexist jokes, boundary violations and power-based harassment do happen. But there is usually a collective pushback.”

He adds, “Political unions in educational institutions should defend student rights—raise issues like fee hikes, discrimination or infrastructure lapses. But their focus must be student-first, not party-first. When unions act as extensions of ruling parties or mimic state machinery, they damage the democratic ethos of a campus. They must be autonomous, accountable, and progressive—not political.”