Kerala Law Academy row: Meeting fails to end strike

Thiruvananthapuram: A  meeting convened by sub-collector Divya S. Iyer here on Thursday failed to  reach a consensus to end the students unions’ strike  in front of the Kerala Law Academy Law College. The students  wanted the management to produce the copy of the minutes of the academy’s governing council  which decided to remove Ms Lakshmi Nair from the principal’s post.  The minutes should have the signature of all the 21 members of the general council. This demand was rejected by the management. The meeting was convened on the instructions of district collector S.Venkateshpathi.                                                                                                                                   

The sub-collector made it clear that protesters will not be allowed to violate law and order situation.   Meanwhile, the collector  inspected the records of the college on the direction of revenue principal secretary P.H. Kurian. Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan had asked him to conduct an inquiry into the issue. KPCC secretary and syndicate member Jyothikumar Chamakala said that the committee should inquire  into the violation  in the memorandum of understanding reached with the government for the formation of the trust in 1968 while seeking land on lease.

The MoU mentioned a 51-member governing council with majority being from the government. However,  it has  been reduced to a 21- member trust with the majority from a single family, Mr Chamakala said. The Kerala University syndicate will meet on February 10 to discuss the allegations related to the college. The syndicate sub-committee would also meet on February 9 to discuss the  affiliation of the college. Meanwhile, KPCC treasurer and syndicate member Johnson Abraham wrote to the education minister seeking the support of  the CPM syndicate members for  action against the college.