KOCHI: Following the violence unleashed by SFI activists at Maharaja’s College, the college governing council on Tuesday decided to close the institution for 10 days. The decision was taken to prevent more untoward incidents as witnessed on the campus soon after SFI activist Dheeraj Rajendran was killed at Government Engineering College in Idukki on Monday.
According to Principal Mercy Joseph, the college will reopen on January 21. “We were advised by the Central police to declare a holiday for a week or more. The aim is to let the emotions settle down. The hostels have also been closed and the students of both girls’ and boys’ hostels have been asked to vacate the rooms,” she said.
“The wardens of both hostels have been asked to take steps in this direction. Of course, it will cause problems for those who have just returned to the hostels after the weekend. But, this is the right step keeping in mind the safety of the students and peace on the campus. An investigation committee has been formed to look into the incident that happened on Monday,” she added.
Meanwhile, KSU activists took out a march to protest the violence unleashed on their cadre by the SFI activists. They marched to the college hostel where, they alleged, the culprits behind the attack on the college unit office-bearers were hiding.
Aloysius Xavier, KSU district president, said, “The SFI needs to halt the Kannur model violence it has been unleashing on its rivals.” He added that KSU won’t hesitate to protect its activists from attacks, which he termed cowardly.
He called the SFI members’ action of dragging out KSU activists, including a woman office-bearer, from the classrooms and beating them a sort of Talibanism. According to Aloysius, the march started from the Ernakulam DCC office and passed through MG Road before culminating in front of the college hostel. “The police stopped the march by placing barricades and then used water cannons on the activists who staged a sit-in. We dispersed only after the police assured us that a case will be filed against the culprits behind the attack,” he added.