IDUKKI: The Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) youth festival titled ‘Article 14’ started on a colourful note with around 2,000 students taking part in the ‘Declaration March’ on Tuesday in Thodupuzha. Though the organisers haven’t set a theme per se, the title ‘Article 14’ celebrates the diehard character of the students in standing up to the Union government’s alleged anti-public policies like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens.
“It can be seen that the students have always been at the forefront of every agitation associated with the citizenship issue. So, to celebrate the bravery of our student community, it was decided to name the festival ‘Article 14’,” said Tejas K Jose, convenor, MGU Youth Festival. According to him, the youth festival will be held on the Al-Azhar College campus from Thursday to March 2. “The colleges that presented the best floats were awarded prizes after the conclusion of the Declaration March.
Al-Azhar College, Thodupuzha, which had the biggest contingent of students and diverse floats, bagged the first prize,” he said. The march saw students from five colleges presenting different traditional dance forms of Kerala and presented floats highlighting the various socio-cultural and national issues like NRC and oppression of the downtrodden.
“Al-Azhar College highlighted what had happened to Madhu (a tribal youth who was lynched by a mob for allegedly stealing food in Attappadi), how Mahatma Gandhi has become obsolete and unity,” Tejas said. The second prize went to IHRD College, Muttom, and Newman College, Thodupuzha bagged the third prize, said Tejas. As for the venues, like every year, each venue has been named after leaders who have been at the forefront of social reforms, he said. According to him, the main venue has been named after Abhimanyu, the SFI member who was stabbed to death in Maharaja’s College.