Even as India was celebrating Teachers’ Day on September 5th, 2023, West Bengal was busy with its biggest shadow boxing event relating to the education sector, with the Governor Dr. Ananda Bose and the State Minister Bratya Basu taking on each other.
Control over universities has been a vexed issue in many states, as the governor happens to be the ex-officio Chancellor of the State Universities. However, there are multi-level education ministries in every state, and West Bengal is no exception. West Bengal has a history of being viewed as an opposition-ruled state—even a rebellious state all along, even during the Congress party’s rule both in the Centre and the State post-independence. The Left succeeded with little or no effort in furthering the distance, and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool party did not do any better in the context.
The gubernatorial posts of the governors, who are appointees of the central government, have often been viewed as redundant, a colonial legacy, and a confrontation with the vox populi of the elected government. Some governors have kept to themselves, reared goats in Raj Bhavan, or were happy cutting ribbons at inaugurals. From street-corner plays to seminars, the state offers plenty of such scope.
Some governors seem to hold post with a clear mandate from the Centre in asserting their powers, going by letter and not by the spirit of the constitution. The state government heaved a sigh of relief over the resignation and election of Shri Jaideep Dhankar, who was often at loggerheads with the state. The fill-in governor, La. Ganesan, was an amenable person, and the state settled for a time of camaraderie and bonhomie with Raj Bhavan. For the miffed Centre, such closeness between the state and the governor was unpalatable, and Ganesan was replaced by a former bureaucrat (IAS) and former RSS member, Dr. Ananda Bose.
The state rejoiced as if Ananda Bose were Subhas Chandra Bose himself and romanticized every aspect of his activities, including his much-publicized learning. The state rejoiced as if Ananda Bose were Subhas Chandra Bose himself and romanticized every aspect of his activities, including his much-publicized learning of “Bangla. Here was a governor who loved Bengal, was learning Bengali, and had a Bose title. The joy, alas, was short-lived when Bose was summoned to Delhi and the higher-ups read the riot act. Bose’s attitude changed like a chameleon. He apparently became more active and vicious than his predecessors.
I am sorry my preamble is longer than the subject matter. Dr. Ananda Bose is actively interpreting his position as chancellor, despite the legislature passing a resolution to nominate the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of all State Universities. He has been appointing people who are not all qualified or experienced to run universities, relying on retired police and justices. The meetings are called in Raj Bhavan, overriding the Education Ministry, with both the government and the governor advising the vice-chancellors and the registrars contrarily. A spate of resignations among the appointees is evidence of the problem ahead.
The state education system has never been in such dire straits as now and could have a disastrous impact on the whole education system and the future of the students. It is immaterial as to who would be the Chancellor, a post that must be like a fire department, swinging into action only when there is a fire and never otherwise.
Sadly, it is everything otherwise now and must end for the sake of the future of West Bengal.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
