‘This is India, not Bangladesh’: 2 female students ragged at Calcutta University

Two female students at the University of Calcutta hostel in Baliganj were ragged for speaking Bengali and labeled as Bangladeshis. Senior students reportedly scolded them for speaking Bengali and told them to learn Hindi. According to reports, the accused told the victims that speaking Bengali alone is not enough because this is not Bangladesh.

The accused told the students that since they live in India, they should learn Hindi. Both students have filed complaints about the incident with the university authorities and the Raj Bhavan.

Shanta Dutta, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, has assured that the complaint will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken.

The two students, who live in the university hostel, reported that they faced various forms of harassment and ragging. The incident took place around 8 pm on Friday at the Hiranmoyee hostel in Baliganj. The victims are fourth-year law students. They have emailed their complaints to the university administration, the university’s anti-ragging cell, and the Raj Bhavan.

Both students reported that on that evening, a group of students led by a PhD candidate from the Agriculture department entered their room and verbally abused them using obscene language. They also mocked the girls for speaking Bengali. The victims wrote, “We study and speak in our mother tongue. They told us, ‘This is India, not Bangladesh. Learn Hindi, or if you go outside this place, we will beat you with sticks and throw you out.’”