Linta Mary Philip By Express News Service KOCHI: Campuses in Kerala are a hotbed of activism. Students spar on ideas, thoughts and beliefs, and sometimes they come to blows too. No wonder Kerala leads in the number of student-led riots in the country. As per the ‘Crime in India Report 2018’, released by the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 214 instances of rioting were recorded on the campuses in the state under offences against public tranquillity (Sections 147-151, IPC) in 2018. Haryana comes second to Kerala with 76 cases, while Uttar Pradesh follows with 61 incidents. According to police officers, the majority of student clashes reported in the state are politically motivated. Leaders of student political units, who often have several cases registered against them, get involved in issues that lead to violent outcomes. The majority of them happen outside the campuses, while a small percentage of clashes result in grievous injuries. Blame game In Ernakulam, institutions like Cusat and Maharaja’s remain at the forefront of political clashes. The latest being the assault on a first-year student at Cusat, allegedly by two Students Federation of India (SFI) members. “The Cusat campus has been seeing clashes between political groups and a radical non-political group, for some time. It was after protests by SFI that action was taken against this group. The latest incident is being probed by SFI leadership,” said V P Sanu, national president of SFI. While SFI has a strong presence in many colleges, the Kerala Students Union (KSU) too has made its presence felt. And, the latter point fingers at SFI for many violent incidents. “Several campuses are under a monopoly of SFI. While indulging in violence, they also prevent other unions from functioning. Instances at CMS College, Kottayam, where students were barricaded by SFI activists and at University College where a student was stabbed by an SFI activist prove this,” said Abhijith K M, state president of KSU. He says, the SFI activists involved in the recent incidence of violence in Cusat was also responsible for burning the chair of Maharaja’s College principal a few years ago. But, he too agrees that the absence of a political union in colleges can be detrimental. “Students need unions to fight unjust situations,” adds Abhijith. Former vice-chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University K S Radhakrishnan thinks these groups are not political units but mafias. “A group of students following the instructions given by some entity, is not politics. Most of these student leaders are academically weak with no interest in studies as opposed to the leaders of the 1980s and 90s,” said Radhakrishan. Whether or not politics must be banned from college campuses comes up in public discourses time and again. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s principal advisor E Sreedharan had recently said he would approach the court against state government’s move to bring a bill to legalise political unions in campuses. “The question of banning politics from campuses to prevent clashes among student groups is illogical. There are instances of cruelty against students by anti-social groups in colleges which have banned politics. Banning student politics is not a solution to end violence,” says Sanu. Recent incidents A first-year student from CUSAT was attacked by two SFI activists in January. The police have filed an attempt to murder case against them. SFI and fraternity clash in Maharaja’s College, over opening of college union office.Students injured. Clash in Sree Kerala Varma College between SFI and ABVP over CAA A third-year student of University College stabbed in scuffle which broke out after student union leaders disapproved of students singing in the canteen. University College Incidents of violence on campuses are frequent in Thiruvananthapuram too. University College, which witnessed bloodshed in the past, recently saw a student being attacked. According to the leader of Save University College Forum Shajar Khan, criminal gangs, in the garb of student forums, are entering the premises of educational institutions to wreak havoc and fear. “Nationally, several peaceful protests are now happening across universities against CAA but in Kerala University, students are reluctant to organise such movements or protests because of fear,” he says.

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