THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Day after a police-student clash occurred on the campus of VTM NSS college at Dhanuvachapuram, near Neyyattinkara, following political rivalry between ABVP and SFI, the college authorities have decided to hold a reconciliation meeting with the student political outfits. However, the student unions are yet to take a decision whether to participate in the meeting.
On Thursday, the clash broke out after the SFI installed party flag on the campus which is an ABVP’s forte for several years. Later, the principal had to call the police to the campus. They had to cane the students, including girls to maintain law and order. Several students are under treatment at various hospitals. The college has been shut for an indefinite period. According to the college authorities, the classes would resume only after reaching a consensus over the issue.
College principal K Mohankumar said the NSS has also informed to call an emergency meeting to solve the issue. But the student unions are reportedly adamant on implementing their respective political needs. According to V Manu Prasad, ABVP state convenor of media and former student of the college, violence broke out after the SFI and a few local CPM party members had deliberately installed an SFI flag with a sole intention to disrupt the peace prevailing at the college.
“The ABVP has been ruling the college for the welfare of students. For the past several months, we did maintain peace in the college. But SFI is disrupting peace. Even the college authorities are supporting the SFI to start a unit in the college. We will protest against the police action in the college. Even the SFI did not spare an ABVP’s flagpole installed in front of Government ITI at Dhanuvachapuram on Friday morning,” Manu said.
Meanwhile, SFI district president Praveen said the SFI wanted to end ABVP’s years of ‘dictatorship’ in the college. “We want to bring democracy. We want a union election in the college. In fact, the ABVP is in the fear of suffering defeat if an election is conducted in the college. The students are like slaves of ABVP for years.
So the students also want a freedom. We are ready for talks and reach consensus if the college is ready to conduct a union election,” Praveen said. The Rural police have strengthened the police deployment at Dhanuvachapuram. ABVP was the only political organisation that had a unit functioning in the college.
However, there was no active politics in the college for some time as a High Court order had banned political activities on the campus.