Student Protests Intensify Across Keralam Against Police Crackdown on SFI March

Thiruvananthapuram: Student protests have intensified across Keralam against the police crackdown on students who protested against the alleged saffronisation of universities. The SFI organised a march to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, while protests were also held at district centres across the state.

Police continued to use force against the protest marches, deploying water cannons and resorting to lathicharges. Several SFI activists were arrested and removed from the protest sites.

The protests were organised after the SFI marched to the Kerala University headquarters the previous day against the full rendition of Vande Mataram at a National Sports Day event at the university, allegedly in line with an RSS agenda. Police, however, launched an attack on the march without any provocation, the SFI alleged.

Male police officers allegedly brutally assaulted students, including women who took part in the march. SFI Central Committee member Arya Prasad lost consciousness after being struck on the head during the lathicharge. State secretariat member Vaishnavi Shaji suffered a serious injury below her eye. Vaishnya, a district committee member, sustained a facial injury and had a tooth dislodged after being hit. Another district committee member, S R Niranjan, also suffered a serious head injury.

The injured students received treatment at Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital and private hospitals. Several other students were also injured.

Police deployed a water cannon as soon as the march reached the barricades and suddenly began a lathicharge. SFI activists questioned the presence of male police officers attacking women students, following which some women police officers arrived at the scene.

The protesters later jumped over the university gate and reached the area in front of the university building to continue their demonstration.

SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev and president M Sivaprasad said the organisation was prepared to take the struggle to the streets if necessary to defend secularism.

Vande Mataram was sung in full during the National Sports Day programme in the presence of ministers Roji M John and O J Janish.