An Indian university erupted in protest early this week, following the failure of administrators to appropriately respond to a student’s report that she was molested during a campus event on Aug. 28.
According to reports, students at Jadavpur University, in Kolkata, West Bengal, are boycotting classes after police violently broke up a student blockade early Wednesday morning. Women protestors were “dragged by the hair and groped, and male students were kicked and punched,” according to The Times of India.
According to the same article, “for the last week, JU students were protesting against the insensitive handling of a molestation complaint by a second-year girl. She alleges that two members of the university probe team had visited her at home and tried to put the blame on her, which scared her. This angered students. The JU authorities assured that their concern would be discussed. But on Tuesday, it wasn’t even mentioned in the executive council meet at 1pm.” The blockade started half an hour later with a vice chancellor inside of the building.
The molestation and protests have become a national issue, with coverage of the event overwhelmingly supporting the woman and protestors, and videos of the police confrontation spreading through Indian social media.
Additionally, students across India are holding protests in solidarity, including a peace march in Bangalore on Sunday at the Town Hall, near KR Market, at 10 a. m., according to the Deccan Chronicle.
Photos via DNA and Press Trust of India.
