Seminar Featuring RSS Pracharak Held at Central University; Students Protest

Kasaragod: Students have staged a protest against what they allege is the saffronisation of the Central University of Kerala at Periya in Kasaragod. Student organisations, including the SFI, have opposed a Vande Mataram seminar featuring RSS pracharak J Nandakumar as the keynote speaker.

The seminar was organised under the theme of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The RSS organisation Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad is the organiser of the event.

The seminar began despite objections from students, following which they intensified their protest. Students said inviting J Nandakumar, whom they described as an RSS pracharak at the national level, as the keynote speaker at a seminar organised at the university was part of an attempt to saffronise the institution. They said this could not be accepted under any circumstances.

The protesters raised slogans of "J Nandakumar Go Back". The seminar hall was locked from inside, while students gathered near the venue raising slogans. A large police contingent was deployed at the spot.

Police prevented students from entering the seminar hall, leading to a scuffle between the police and students. After students announced that they would not withdraw from the protest, police allegedly assaulted them. Students, including women, were allegedly manhandled in the absence of female police personnel. Several students, including SFI unit secretary Sayed S Ali, were injured.

The students said the university should not be turned into an instrument for saffronisation.

The university had issued a circular a day earlier regarding the Vande Mataram seminar. The circular warned that strict action would be taken against students if they obstructed the singing of Vande Mataram.

The circular cited a legal amendment under which such an offence could attract a punishment of up to three years' imprisonment and a fine. Students had criticised this as an attempt to intimidate them and warned that they would stage a strong protest.

The seminar is being conducted over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. The SFI leadership had announced that students would prevent Nandakumar from entering the campus and said it would intervene strongly to protect the secular and democratic character of the campus.