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I have been a journalist for 17 years. I have covered people with genuinely ugly reputations; I have been shouted at, lied to and stonewalled by many of them. However, Thursday, August 20, outside Jadavpur University, was the first time in all those years that someone responded to a professional question by threatening me with sexual harassment.

I should declare something before going further, because it is relevant to how the day felt. I studied at Jadavpur for five years. My undergraduate degree and my postgraduate degree are both from there. Gate 4 is the gate I walked through for years without ever thinking twice. This Thursday, however, I stood outside it holding a press card, watching men I had never seen on that campus climb it and put their shoes through the emblem above it.

I am not going to pretend that it made no difference to me. It did. It also did not change a single thing I did as a reporter that day – which is the only assurance I can offer.

ABVP supporters had gathered near the Golpark area of Kolkata before marching towards Jadavpur University. They were carrying saffron flags and shouting “Veer Savarkar Zindabad”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Naxal has no place here” and “SFI-er chamra, gutiye nebo aamra (We will roll up the SFI’s skin)”. 

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