COIMBATORE: AN extempore classroom speech by a first year student of Coimbatore Law College on the Kathua case landed her in trouble on Friday, as the college suspended her for “inciting gender and religious hatred among students”.The order by college principal K S Gopalakrishnan suspending her from Friday afternoon said R Priya’s speech on April 13 incited gender and religious hatred. A faculty member, R Ammu, was prevented from discharging her duties, the order claimed.
“Students in their complaint said that Priya had been forcing the students to boycott classes and protest against the government. She had been posting comments against those who did not listen to her. The students also complained that her acts have affected functioning of the classes and in her speech on Friday, Priya called boy students male chauvinists,” the order said, adding that Priya’s act was against college rules and Justice P Shanmugam panel recommendations that college premises be beyond caste and religious politics.
Priya disputed the charges. “On Friday, as English teacher had completed the syllabus, she asked students to talk for a minute on a topic of their choice. As none came forward, she asked me to speak and I chose to speak on the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Jammu.”
“I said such incidents happened... because of the way society views and treats women. A few boys went out and stood near two-wheeler parking and faculty member Ammu spoke to them. Later, she entered our class, told the English teacher not ask students to speak on general topics. She took the boys to the principal’s room,” Priya, a member of Revolutionary Student Front, claimed, adding she would challenge the suspension legally.