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For A Better Campus

A Tale of e-Activism at Vidyasagar University

Abhijit Guha

Motivated by recent Internet activism (also known as online activism, digital campaigning, digital activism, online organising, electronic advocacy, cyber-activism, e-campaigning, and e-activism, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet activism), I took up the challenge to make some change in an otherwise bureaucratic milieu dependent on hard copies, phone calls and direct face to face offline encounters between persons holding specific and well-defined positions within the organisation, which in this case is Vidyasagar University in Medinipur, in the Paschim(west) Medinipur district of West Bengal.

The case described here is centred around a public utility infrastructure (mainly for the students of a rural university, who are largely dependent on bicycles) built up by the university just a few years back. It was roughly a 40ft.×15ft bicycle stand. It was built up from funds from the state government’s public exchequer. Within a short period of time (less than a decade), the infrastructure has become rundown. Interestingly, the structure was still being used by the students and a time came, when the university authorities had to declare it abandoned. But that declaration was a declaration on board only. There was no vigilance to prevent the entry of the bicycles in the stand and it continued for several months. The students’ union was also silent on
the issue. The stand was being used at the risk of the users. It was in 2011-12.

Actions Offline participant observation to online activism
I was also a regular viewer of this dismal situation. It only reminded me of Nobel Laureate Garrett Hardin’s famous paper on the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’. The bicycle stand was a symbol of ‘Everybody’s cradle but nobody’s baby.’ I was at the same time motivated by my ethnographic encounters on the campus of Vidyasagar University and despite my action oriented failures on a much bigger offline project with the university. (1.https://www.academia.edu/4165030/Nritatikayer_ Chokhe_ Vidyasagar_ Viswavidyalayer_Uddesh ya_ Bicchutiye_O_Sambhabana 2.https://www.academia.edu/3698486/Campus_Anthropology_A_Case_  Study_from_West_Bengal_India)

What I did was simple. I took two photographs in digital camera and sent the photos by e-mail to the Registrar of VU with a copy to our VC. Immediately the VC responded to my mail and instructed the university engineer to encircle the abandoned stand with red tapes and go ahead with its eventual demolition. The VC copied his mail to me. Nothing happened for the next 7 days and use of the space continued as before. I again e-mailed to the Registrar with two photos with copy to the VC. I expressed my worries as regards the chain of command in the university’s bureaucratic structure. Lightning action followed. Red danger tapes encircled the risky place, no one was allowed to use the risky place and demolition started and was completed within 2-3 days.

I did not stop. I sent another e-mail to the Registrar requesting him to construct an alternative bicycle stand copying the same to VC. The VC immediately set up a committee (with the university engineer, development officer, Dean of Science Faculty and the Registrar) to assess the feasibility of the construction of a better stand or some new structure. I was also inducted in the committee. Everything up to this stage occurred online.

Offline activism
The place was inspected by us and I was entrusted to write and submit the feasibility report. I wrote and submitted the Report to the VC and I believed quick action would be taken shortly. While preparing the report, I discussed about how best should we rebuild the demolished bicycle stand with persons who were not the members of the committee but were either users or engaged with the management of the campus land. In the report we emphasised that that the demolition of the bicycle stand created a wide open space although a new building on this location may create an obstruction which would suffocate the openness of the space that was important for the landscaping of the campus. We added the following points:

   1.  The Xerox shop adjoining the demolished stand should also be removed from this place and be relocated to some other place of the campus to make the place wider and open at one of the important entry points of the university. This would not only create more room for beautification of the campus but would also be advantageous for the security personnel to keep a better watch to the gate of the bank, post office and the gardens on the south and eastern sides. Incidentally a white sandalwood tree had been stolen from one such garden.

2. Having made the space clear and open, the major part of it might be dredged and strengthened for a larger parking zone keeping in view the rapidly growing demand for space for four- wheelers. This had to be done by making a proper pucca lane(s) for pedestrians who would have to enter the humanities and social science block approaching from the western side.

A small garden should be created under the supervision of the university NSS by using some portion of this newly created space by the present demolition of the bicycle stand and the removal of the Xerox shop. Here short plants (cactus, flower-bearing plants etc. should be grown). A few permanent comfortable chairs may be spread over around this small garden for the members of the university community who would like to enjoy cups of tea and coffee from the canteen and Nestle outlet at a short distance.

A new and larger bicycle stand may be constructed along the southern boundary wall adjoining the present building where the office of the university engineer is housed (Benjamin Franklin Bhavan) by using the space which is lying with bushes and shrubs just behind the Silver Jubilee Building. This would-be bicycle stand may be constructed at a low cost by using iron pillars and asbestos roof. The security personnel deployed at the Gate No.1 would be able to keep a constant vigil on the new bicycle stand without making much movement.

3. A one storey building may be constructed on the eastern side of the canteen and Nestle outlet housing the Xerox shop with the addition of (i) shops selling stationery items for students, (ii) old and low cost book selling shops, (iii) book binding shops etc.
     
4. The committee realised that the above comprehensive planning towards the restructuring of the area needs further operationali-sation and for this purpose a reputed engineering and consultancy firm may be engaged. It should however be kept in mind that the basic structure and its underlying principles which were stated in the recommendations elucidated in the above paragraphs should not be altered.

   5.  The members of the committee also felt that the budget involved and the sources of funding is beyond the expertise of the committee and this should be done after the completion of the overall planning done by proper experts.

The VC approved the report and noted on the early view draft that it will be processed as per rules and we are now waiting for concrete offline action.

Conclusion
Being aware of the limitations of outright negative criticisms of the establishment and also the limitations of ‘Clicktivism’ which reduces activism to a mere mouse-click, yielding numbers with little or no real engagement or commitment to the cause. (See http://www.techopedia. com/definition/28184/clicktivism) I participated in both online and offline communities of the university. The lesson I learned seems to be useful for future actions for the development of the campus through a participatory mode by using both online and offline communities in a transparent manner. I learnt big lessons from small range activism. The challenge before us is to build up a far better campus space Let the new campus space become a symbol of super fast reconstruction of public utility service at a University located in a small town far away from Kolkata city through e-governance. Let us showcase it as a symbol of high standard of management of university’s infrastructure run by taxpayer’s money.

Acknowledgements
I also owe my debts to the then Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, the university Engineer, the Development Officer and the Dean, Faculty of Science of Vidyasagar University for involving me in the planning of the campus space without which this article would not have been written by me. Last but not the least; I am grateful to my students, scholars and Faculty friends.

 [Abhijit Guha, Former Professor, Department of Anthropology, Vidyasagar University, Medinipur-721102. mail: abhijitguhavuanthro@rediffmail.com]

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Vol 57, No. 15 - 18, Oct 5 - Nov 2, 2024