SFI Protest Over Student Suspensions, Autonomous College Norms Turns Violent in Thiruvananthapuram
The march, led by Students' Federation of India state secretary P S Sanjeev, proceeded towards the Secretariat gate near the office of the state Higher Education minister
Thiruvananthapuram: A protest march by SFI here on Thursday against the suspension of students at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady and the relaxation of norms for autonomous colleges turned violent, with demonstrators climbing onto a water cannon vehicle and putting up banners targeting Keralam Minister Roji M John, police said.
The march, led by Students' Federation of India state secretary P S Sanjeev, proceeded towards the Secretariat gate near the office of the state Higher Education minister.
Despite police using water cannons four times to disperse the protesters, around 100 SFI activists refused to retreat, officials said.
The protesters subsequently cut the ropes securing the barricades and attempted to move towards the Secretariat gate, they added.
Police personnel were deployed in front of the gate to prevent the protesters from entering the Secretariat premises.
After being prevented from entering the compound, Sanjeev and some activists climbed onto a water cannon vehicle and put up a banner against the minister on top of it. Another banner was placed on the Secretariat compound wall.
Sanjeev and other activists also addressed the protesters from atop the vehicle, police said.
Officials said police personnel deployed at different gates of the Secretariat were unable to contain all the protest marches, allowing SFI activists to remove barricades at some locations.
Police said a case would be registered against the protesters for allegedly damaging barricades and climbing onto the water cannon vehicle.
As many as 16 SFI-affiliated students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady were suspended in August this year following protests against the vice-chancellor and the syndicate.
Subsequently, 10 students were denied permission to appear for examinations.
The protest was also against a recent Higher Education Department decision to do away with the requirement of prior government approval for autonomous colleges to introduce new self-financing courses and increase seats in existing programmes.
The decision has drawn criticism from Left parties, which alleged that it would allow autonomous aided and self-financing colleges to increase student intake without prior government approval, leading to the commercialisation of education and favouring private college managements.