KOZHIKODE:GOVERNMENT medical colleges in the state have emerged a soft target for several religious extremist organisations to attract youth through “religious classes and campaigns” on the campuses.
State intelligence wing stumbled upon this finding while tracing activities of a religious hardline sect following the missing of 21 persons from the state, who have reportedly left for Syria to join IS. State intelligence and police officers have confirmed that cells of a suspected hardline wing have been operating in college hostels in the state to influence the students.
DGP Loknath Behera confirmed that “the issue has come to our attention and we are looking into it in detail.”
Validating the finding, an MBBS student of Kozhikode Medical College on condition of anonymity told Express that Muslim students are being forced to attend preachings organised on the pretext of ‘Medical Islamic Cultural Classes’ (MICC) after their regular classes.
“Those who refuse to attend the classes are targeted,” he said. “There is a deliberate attempt to impose a certain ideology,” he added.
“Though we don’t have any confirmation regarding such development, we cannot rule out the possibility. We will look into the matter and do the needful,” said medical college principal V P Sasidharan.
SFI state president Jaick C Thomas echoed the concern. “Certain religious extremist groups are operating on Kozhikode and Kottayam medical college campuses. They are carrying out campaigns on extremist ideologies to influence students,” he said.
The case is not different at medical college campuses on Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram and Manjeri, according to students union leaders.
Another group of MBBS students admitted that the cells used to distribute pamphlets on the campus and in hostels on religious practices to be followed by students.
“There are even Whatsapp groups of students on the campus based on their religion,” they said. At times, the situation gets worse when the members of the cells forcefully make the girl students wear head scarf and direct them to stay away from participating in dance and other art festivals.
State Directorate of Medical Education Director Remla Beevi expressed shock on hearing the development. “We will be taking up the issue seriously and coordinate with the state police to strengthen surveillance in hostels,” she said.