KOZHIKODE : The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut has announced a three-day closure of the institute owing to the ongoing unrest on the campus. The unrest started following the suspension of a student. The office of Dean Students’ Welfare has released an order to put the suspension order on hold until the appellant authority decides the appeal submitted by the student concerned.
An order issued by the NIT-C on Friday said that due to prevailing mobbing, and external disturbances in and around the campus, the institute had to seek police protection on February 1. A series of interactions with the police authorities regarding the prevailing security scenario were held. Based on this, the authorities of NIT-C decided to declare non-instructional and non-office days for the institute on February 2, 3 and 4. So usual academics and office activities will not be held on these days.
The order further said, “The scheduled exams, campus placements, and interviews will be postponed and the new dates will be declared later”. The students were advised not to venture out of the hostel premises. The security staff is advised to stay vigilant, and not to allow any outsiders into the campus without the approval of the HoD or registrar.
According to an NIT-C statement, Vyshak Premkumar, a fourth-year student of Electronics and Communication, breached crucial clauses of the institute’s code of conduct and is solely accountable for inciting unrest within the community as well as for lowering the institute’s esteem both inside and outside the campus through his irresponsible behaviour. Vyshak has been suspended from the institute for one year until January 2025 due to violation of multiple provisions of the student code of conduct. The college had to halt the order as a widespread protest erupted on the campus on Thursday.
The members of the students’ outfit were agitating against the institute’s decision to suspend a student who had protested with a banner that read, “India is not Ramrajya’. An alumni of the campus and author Vinod Narayanan in his social media post said, “What wrong did the boy from NIT-C raise”. India is indeed not a Ram Rajya and hence he is absolutely correct. Why did the college authorities fail to take action against the students who created a tense environment on the campus by assaulting the students who raised banners that said India is not Ram Rajya. Campus is not a place for the faculties to play around with their ideologies or politics, he further said in his post.
A large number of students staged a sit-in at the main entrance until the college authorities came up with an order to revise the suspension order. Vyshak said, “I will remain silent until the college authorities come up with a reasonable decision.”
Several students from the campus who declared themselves to be part of pro-Hindu group and shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and painted a saffron map of India on the campus assaulted Kailash, another student and me inside the campus, but no action was taken against them, he further added, which is absolute injustice.
What NIT-C order says
Due to prevailing mobbing, and external disturbances in and around the campus, the institute had to seek police protection on February 1.