By Express News Service
KOCHI: Right from the year 2000, campuses in Kerala have been a soft target for religion-based extremist organisations which operated under different groups to run its propaganda for attracting youth.
According to State Police Chief Lokanth Behera, the latest murder incident at Maharajas College in Kochi reveals that it was an orchestrated operation by Campus Front, the students wing of Popular Front of Indian (PFI) to instill fear in the mind of students.
"It was a well-executed plot as outsiders were involved it. We have taken necessary measures to tackle the rising activities of religion-based organisations in the campuses. We will take tough action against those involved in the conspiracy and murder of the student at Maharajas College," Behera told TNEI.
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Both former police chiefs Jacob Punnoose and T P Senkumar also echoed similar concern saying that the police have repeatedly warned the respective state governments about the activities of extremists organisations in college campuses in the state with ulterior motive to expand its religious propaganda and recruit more youth.
"In the period between 2012 and 2013, we have filed a couple of reports about the rising activities of religious fundamentalist activities in college campuses, " said Senkumar.
Punnoose said "when I was with intelligence, we have filed reports about the dangers of religion-based wings making in roads in campuses. Rising dominance of religion-based organisations in campuses is a danger to secularity," he added.
According to earlier police reports, NDF, which later merged with PFI and the banned SIMI were taking to campuses under different names to carry out fundamentalist activities and recruit talented youth to its fold.
Senior police officers say that rising activities of extremist wings in campuses has become a far more complex issue and deep rooted than is understood by policymakers.
"Extremist organisations are always on the look out for technically skilled and academically strong individuals because they give more value addition to them. We can't brush aside the fact that student wings of religio-political parties, radical and banned militant organisations are still active on educational campuses promoting religious extremism among students through radical literature and publications disseminated not only through pamphlets and CDs but also social media," said a senior police officer.
