Last year, Kolkata saw the launch of a fierce revolution started by the students in Jadavpur University. Named “Hok Kolorob” meaning “let there be clamour”, the movement spread across the country like wildfire. The movement started after a female student was sexually assaulted on campus and the Vice-Chancellor, Abhijit Chakrabarty was reluctant to take any action against the accused.

“The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee dismissed the entire episode as a 'chhoto ghotona' (an insignificant event). The students of the university were further irked by Trinamool Congress Leader and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee's comment: 'I won't be responsible if members of Chhatra Parishad, professors and others who want normalcy in the education sector also launch a movement of their own. We are requesting them (students of JU) to resume the classes and not waste their academic year by thismovement. They have voiced their protest and now they should go back to their classes.'”[1].

On August 28, the movement took a new turn when the police and a few others in plain clothes, rumoured to be goons of the ruling party entered the campus and beat up the students in the evening, who were participating in a sit-in protest against the authorities. The brutal attack on the unarmed students led to a widespread condemnation with protests held in Kolkata and pan-India in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The #hokkolorob online movement in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram became the centre of attraction with students across India expressing solidarity with the victims of the brutal attack. On September 20, 2014, around one lakh students across the nation took to the streets demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor. Moreover, the Governor of West Bengal who is the Chancellor of Jadavpur University, Keshari Nath Tripathi promised to probe the events and take action.

Finally, after four months the movement ended with a twist in the tale, with the Chief Minister and the Education Minister arriving on campus to give assurances regarding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor. Of that memorable night, Abhijit Gupta, a teacher at the University said: "Four months ago, the young people of JU lit a small light in a landscape of despair. Tonight, it blazed like a beautiful bonfire. We, who have gathered around, must make sure that it never goes out." There is nothing more beautiful than students fighting the good fight. But it saddens one when similar strategies are used for negative battles[2].

Reference:

1. http://www.ibnlive.com/news/buzz/hokkolorob-movement-takes-social-media-by-storm-1-lakh-jadavpur-university-students-march-against-the-vc-to-protest-against-sexual-assault-715572.html
2. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/the-movement-that-shook-kolkata/1/421298.html
3. http://www.india.com/news/india/jadavpur-university-protests-did-mamata-banerjees-tmc-government-lead-to-hok-kolorob-movement-156112/