The Odisha government has sent a high-level team to Tripura to gauge the allegations that the students from the state studying at Agartala-based Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan were physically tortured by local students.
Despite a long two hour discussion between the students – both of Orissa and locals of Tripura, studying in the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan University (RSSU) in presence of teachers and a high-level team of Orissa government, there was not much improvement in the situation.
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The panic-stricken students from Odisha in a video message alleged that they were attacked by some students as they did not participate in a strike following some dispute during the ‘Ganesh Puja’ celebrations
About 90 students from Odisha are presently enrolled in its Agartala campus in various degree programmes, such as Bachelor in Education (B.Ed).
According to an Indian Express report, in videos released on social media late Wednesday night, Odiya students in the university wept and pleaded for help. “There is great injustice here and we are totally unsafe”, said a female student featured in the video.
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“We are B.Ed students and have come to this Central Government affiliated university after passing an entrance examination. But local students harass and thrash us”.
“They thrashed both male and female students”, alleged another student in the video, weeping with folded hands. “We may be killed any moment”, said a male student. “We don’t need the B.Ed (degrees) or jobs. We only want security”.
Students have appealed to the Odisha government to take them back to their homes. Secretary of Odisha’s Higher Education Department, Bishnupada Sethi, said, “A two-member team, comprising Vice Chancellor of Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya Radha Madhab Dash and Director Higher Education IAS B Parmeswaran, will be visiting Agartala to sort out the matter.”
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday tweeted: “Students from Odisha are Tripura’s children too. No anti-social activities shall be allowed on the land of Ma Tripursundari. I assure full protection for students from across India in #Tripura. Spoke to @dpradhanbjp ji today. Assured him of full safety for #Odisha students.”
Tripura Police issued a statement saying they have visited the Odiya students and provided a picket. Tripura Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said concerned officials were asked to look into the issue. Superintendent of Police of West Tripura district Ajit Pratap Singh said tight security and 24×7 surveillance was provided around Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan since yesterday.
“We spoke with the students and they said they are afraid of something. We are still not sure what they are afraid of. But we have ensured proper security”, the official said.
Singh also said he spoke with Principal of the institution and the latter assured him that no incident of clash took place inside it.