Schools and colleges across Kerala remained shut on Tuesday as activists of the CPI(M) controlled SFI had declared boycott of classes to protest against the murder of Dheeraj, an engineering college student in Idukki on Monday. The student community in the college bade a tearful farewell to Dheeraj as his body was taken by ambulance to Thaliparamba in Kannur for final rites.
Dheeraj was allegedly murdered by Congress workers outside the campus even as the students were electing their representatives for the academic year. Nikhil Pylee, a Congress leader who was arrested by Idukki Police reportedly told the investigating team that it was he who stabbed Dheeraj which resulted in the death of the student.
Interestingly, the election held on Monday and boycott of classes witnessed on Tuesday were in violation of a Kerala High Court verdict of February 2020 which had banned strikes, satyagrahas, demonstrations and party based elections in campuses.
“Learning is the fundamental right of students. Campuses are places for creating dialogues and discussions. They should not become venue of protests,” the Kerala High Court had ruled while disposing a series of petitions filed by more than 20 college managements challenging the legality and constitutionality of campus
politics. Zacharia Stephen, president, St Thomas Group of Educational Institutions, Pathanamthitta, who was one of the petitioners, told The Pioneer that the February 26, 2020 verdict is valid for all educational institutions in the State. “Justice P B Suresh Kumar has made it clear that campuses should never be used for political activities including agitations and demonstrations. What they have done today was a blatant violation of law and a contempt of court,” said Stephen. He also said that there was a 2017 order by Kerala High Court that has made politics and protests in college campuses illegal activities.
Sreesailam Unnikrishnan , assistant professor, Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode, said there was no room for party based politics and elections in campuses. “The decision of the Kerala Government not to shut down educational institutions despite the onslaught of Covid-19 and omicron smacks of a conspiracy. There is an agenda to establish the command and superiority of SFI over colleges and schools,” said Unnikrishnan. He said states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have opted for on-line classes which prevented a lot of casualties in those States.
Hundreds of young lives have been snuffed out in campus politics in the State during the last two decades. The most gruesome of it were the 1996 murder of Anu, Kim and Sujith, students in D B College Parumala who were stoned to death by SFI and DYFI activists because the formers were bold enough to work for a rival political outfit, reminisced Unnikrishnan who was a student those days.
Meanwhile Maharajas College, Ernakulam, closed indefinitely, following group clashes between students belonging to KSU and the SFI. All Congress leaders, cutting across group lines, assembled behind KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on Tuesday following attempts by SFI and DYFI activists to attack him at Malappuram.