KOCHI: A day after a few students of Ernakulam Government Law College installed portraits of B R Ambedkar and Dakshayani Velayudhan in the Central Hall of the college, the principal issued a show-cause notice to them. The college has also sent a letter to the state government seeking its decision on the matter.
According to the spokesperson for the students, they had submitted a request to the principal seeking permission to install the portraits. “The principal has accepted the request letter and given us an acknowledgment regarding the same. We have sent copies of the letter to the chief minister and other authorities concerned,” added the spokesperson.
According to Bindu M Nambiar, principal, the students have been issued a show-cause notice. “We have sought the state government’s advice on the matter. Already we have installed a portrait of Ambedkar in the college,” she said.
The students of the 2022-25 batch had installed the portraits on the eve of the 21st edition of the National Moot Court competition for the T S Venkateshwara Iyer ever-rolling trophy. The portraits have been installed in the Central Assembly Hall of the college. Justifying their action, the students said it is of utmost importance that the portraits of these two constitutional experts need to be put up in the college.
“Dakshayani Velayudhan was the only Dalit woman to be a member of the committee entrusted with the drafting of the Constitution,” said the students. The college authorities objected to the act saying that the state government’s permission is needed for any changes associated with the college building as it enjoys heritage status, the authorities said.