Visva Bharati University closed indefinitely after violent protests

The Visva Bharati University in West Bengal's Santiniketan was today closed indefinitely following violent protests by students and locals against the authority's decision to construct a boundary wall around the venue for Poush Mela, a key annual cultural event of the institution held every winter.

The protesters ransacked the university's properties protesting the construction of the boundary wall at the Poush Mela ground.

Later this evening, the university announced in a statement that "in view of the vandalism today leading to a huge destruction of University property worth several lakhs of Rupees due to complete absence of police deployment in spite of having two police stations within the University campus," it was "resolved to close the University… till the situation improves."

However, admission and examination processes "would be taken care of", it said.

Visva Bharati authorities have also decided to scrap Poush Mela, citing its "bitter experience" of the last two years in organising the winter festival at Santiniketan amid a tussle with local traders on making them comply with National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines.

Visva Bharati University is under the federal Indian government and today's protests tended to take on a political colour with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee throwing her weight behind the protest against the wall but insisting that the issue should be amicably resolved.

The university authorities decided to wall the venue of 'Poush Mela' and construction work started this morning.

Nearly 4,000 people assembled near the campus in Santiniketan and ransacked some properties and pulled down one of the university gates using a JCB machine, sources said.

According to sources, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress legislator from Dubrajpur Naresh Bauri was present when the ransacking was taking place.

Construction of the boundary wall was stopped after the incident.

Sources said the university authorities felt a wall around the venue was needed so that "outsiders" do not get access to it.

Around 50 people -- students, ashramites and university alumni -- held an hour-long sit-in before the "Upasana Griho" (prayer hall) of the university in protest against the boundary wall, Visva Bharati pro-Left Students' Federation of India leader Somnath Sau said.

A local traders' body also joined the protest against the boundary wall.

Poush Mela was started by Devendra Nath Tagore, father of poet Rabindranath Tagore, in 1894. Visva Bharati, the university founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, started organising it from 1951.