Team from state meets 'harassed' students in Tripura

AGARTALA: Following allegations of students from Odisha being harassed at the Rastriya Sanskrit Sansthan in Agartala, Tripura higher education minister Ratan Lal Nath on Thursday night held separate meetings with the students and teachers of the institution. A team from Odisha, comprising state director of higher education B Parmeswaran and Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University VC Radha Madhab Dash, have visited the college and interacted with the students.
Nath said there was dispute between two groups of students over administrative issues after which a section of the students from Odisha posted a video on social media alleging that they have been harassed. In the video clip that surfaced on social media on Wednesday, several students and teachers are seen pleading for help, saying they were being "physically tortured" by local students for not participating in a strike called after a dispute over Ganesh Puja celebrations.

Local students have accused three Odia professors of practising favouritism towards students from the state. The local students had lodged a complaint against these professors, following which the principal sent them on leave. The accused professors reportedly found support from the Odisha students, which led to clashes between the two groups.

"I have personally spoken to both the groups of students and teachers as well as the principal. I have made it clear that the state government would not allow any kind of chaos or any attempt to malign the name of Tripura," Nath told media. He blamed the principal for not being able to handle the situation properly. The principal's action further angered the students and helped groups with vested interests to rile up the tension, he said, adding that normalcy has returned to the institution now.

Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has spoken to the university authorities and said the state government would take steps to resolve the ongoing impasse in the college. "Students from Odisha are Tripura's children too. No anti-social activities shall be allowed on the land of Ma Tripurasundari," Deb had tweeted on Thursday. Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also spoken to Deb and requested him to ensure that steps are taken for the safety of the students from Odisha. Odisha DGP RP Sharma has spoken to his Tripura counterpart about the matter and West Tripura SP has visited the campus to take stock of the situation.