Graffiti in higher edu institution reads ‘No dogs & Muslims allowed’
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Kolkata: In Kolkata’s Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) campus, graffiti having severe potential for inciting communal tension was found against Muslims. The graffiti, which appeared in the backdrop of the recent Delhi car blast, read “Muslims & dog shouldn’t enter the premises” and “No dogs and Muslims”, according to a report by Alt News.
The graffiti appeared on both sides of the main entrance door of the boys’ hostel, the CV Raman Hall.
On one side, an old writing “Dog shouldn’t enter the premises” was written in black, and someone added “Muslims &” in white chalk. Thus, it read “Muslims & dog shouldn’t enter the premises”.
The other side of the door read “No Muslim” and “No Muslim allowed”. Another spot, a railing of the hostel’s east-wing staircase, was also smeared with the message, “No Dogs and Muslims.”
After the messages appeared, the students gave a verbal complaint to the administration and ISI Kolkata director Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, dean Biswabrata Pradhan, and hostel warden Subhamoy Maitra, who later inspected the graffiti along with members of the campus’s general affairs (GA) committee.
Students told Alt News that the director condemned the act publicly.
Later, a written complaint was filed, demanding an investigation into the matter to identify those responsible, Alt News learned.
A student told the news agency that there is a CCTV camera which could have caught the perpetrator. Although students requested the administration for its footage, they refused, but promised that they would look into the matter. The administration also suggested organising a sensitisation programme with compulsory attendance.
The students, however, complain that Dean Biswabrata Pradhan gave a lukewarm response to their request to take action on the issue. No proper inquiry has been done so far, and the sensitisation programme is scheduled for sometime in January. Though the dean had assured a public statement on the issue, none was released by the date of November 12.