KOCHI: IN an order that could virtually end campus politics in Kerala, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court said educational institutions are meant for imparting education and not politics. Activities like dharna, hunger strike and other practices like satyagraha have no place in a constitutional democracy, much less in academic institutions, it held.
“Anyone indulging in political activities in educational institutions would make himself liable to be expelled or rusticated. Educational institutions are not for politics. By their political ambition, the political parties cannot hold to ransom the educational institutions or right of the civilised students to receive education,” said the court, which added the parent of a student indulged in campus politics must consider whether he goes to the college to involve in politics or to study.
The court issued the order on a contempt of court petition filed by the MES College, Ponnani, in Malappuram. The college witnessed strikes, dharna and clashes between different student outfits of political parties, forcing it to close down in August. Activists of SFI, CPM’s students’ wing, claimed students were on dharna and hunger strike outside the college.
MES College counsel produced photographs of a shed erected along its boundary with a banner of a political party and huge loudspeakers. The court said it was a unauthorised encroachment on public property which should have been immediately removed by the police, who are there to maintain law and order and not to permit such picket on public property.“The right of a law-abiding citizen to traverse along the footpath or on the roads cannot be obstructed by any political party whatever cause it may have,” it said. The court also examined the photographs which clearly showed the students sitting in dharna inside the college.
“If students have a legitimate grievance, avenues for ventilating them are legally available. There is students council, academic council and there are courts, including High Court, where appropriate grievance can be raised. Dharnas have no place which would only vitiate the academic atmosphere. The court cannot countenance such a thing,” the order stated.The court said if any student is found to be resorting to or enforcing dharna, strike or disruption of academic atmosphere of any college, its principal or authorities would have a right to rusticate them. “If called upon by the college authorities, the police would be under an obligation to assist the authorities in maintaining peace, and quiet and orderly conduct of academic on the college premises,” the court held.
The court directed all pickets, tents and stalls set up in and around the MES College campus or in its immediate vicinity for facilitating dharna and hunger strike be forthwith removed by the police and the area be maintained free of any such obstructions.The people resort to dharna/hunger strike show they themselves are aware their demands are not legal or legitimate.
They use these coercive methods to achieve what they could not have achieved legally, otherwise they would have peacefully come to court or moved the statutory forums to redress their grievances. The court advised the SFI leader who appeared before the court to concentrate on his studies rather than indulge in politics on the college premises or if he is so inclined, he may withdraw from the institution to continue his political career. But the two cannot go together. The choice is his.
The court adjourned the case to Monday and directed the police to file a report with regard to compliance of the directives.