Govt Treats Criticism as Sabotage Says JU Alumnus

Jadavpur University alumnus Hindol Majumdar, recently granted bail after his arrest for allegedly plotting an attack on West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu’s convoy, has accused the state government of equating dissent with sabotage. Speaking to PTI a day after the Alipore court released him on Monday, allowing his return to Spain to continue his biomedicine research, Majumdar condemned the establishment’s intolerance toward criticism, likening it to a broader societal trend of branding adversaries as “anti-national.”

Majumdar, a 31-year-old recipient of the prestigious Marie Curie scholarship, was arrested at Delhi airport on August 13 upon returning from Spain, where he pursues a PhD at the University of Granada. The Kolkata Police, citing WhatsApp messages, alleged he masterminded the March 1 attack on Basu’s convoy at JU, comparing his role to convicted terrorist Aftab Ansari, the planner of the 2002 American Center attack in Kolkata. “I was startled by the comparison,” Majumdar said. “It reflects an establishment that cannot tolerate critique and expects only praise.”

The researcher, whose work focuses on using AI to predict kidney disease progression, emphasized that his critiques aim to push the government to better utilize its resources for public welfare. “Criticism stems from a deep love for the country, urging it to improve,” he said, lamenting a shift in India’s cultural narrative from films like Rang De Basanti, which celebrated constructive dissent, to a climate where questioning authority is vilified.

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Majumdar questioned the necessity of a Lookout Circular (LOC) issued against him, noting he was not absconding and could have been contacted via email or call. “I wasn’t hiding. Why treat me like a fugitive?” he asked, recalling his detention at Jadavpur police lock-up. He praised the professionalism of the Delhi and Kolkata police, stating he faced no custodial misconduct. However, his time in custody exposed him to “another India”—a world of impoverished individuals, from illegal immigration operatives to deported migrant workers, where crime is normalized. “It was a priceless experience, one I’d only read about in books,” he shared.

The arrest, which sparked protests by JU students and faculty, who called it a “political vendetta,” has raised concerns about academic freedom. The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) and civil rights groups condemned the action, with JUTA’s Partha Pratim Roy labeling it an attempt to turn Bengal into a “police state.” Majumdar’s lawyer, Gopal Halder, argued in court that the police lacked evidence, as they failed to verify the WhatsApp messages’ origin, a point echoed by the judge who questioned the absence of charges under the Information Technology Act.

Now free on a ₹1,000 surety, Majumdar faces uncertainty about his seized phone and laptop, critical for his doctoral thesis due in 2027. “My research data is on that laptop. I’m unsure when I’ll get it back or if the LOC has been lifted,” he said. His case has fueled debates about state governance and the suppression of dissent, with civil society groups like the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) calling it an attack on democratic rights. As Majumdar prepares to resume his work in Spain, his ordeal underscores the growing tension between India’s academic community and an administration increasingly intolerant of critique.

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