Kasaragod: A massive student protest broke out at the Central University of Kerala campus in Periya on Tuesday against the participation of RSS-linked leader J Nandakumar in a two-day seminar marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, with at least three students injured as police prevented protesters from entering the venue.

The protest, led largely by the Students Federation of India (SFI), saw the participation of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Muslim Students Federation (MSF), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), and the Fraternity Movement, the student outfit of Welfare Party of India. Despite differences among the organisations, they maintained a united front, raising slogans together in opposition to Nandakumar's participation.

Around 100 police personnel were deployed around the Central Library auditorium, where the seminar was being held. Students attempted to enter the venue through all three entrances, but were pushed back by the police. The protest continued for nearly three hours, with students raising slogans against the RSS and demanding that Nandakumar not be allowed to address the seminar.

Nandakumar, the national convenor of Prajna Pravah, the intellectual wing of the RSS, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural session. He was brought into the venue around 9.30 am, half an hour before the scheduled start, while students were protesting outside with placards.

The seminar is being organised by the Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with the Central University and the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad (ABSP), the RSS-linked literary organisation.

The protests had initially centred on the participation of organisations and speakers associated with the Sangh Parivar. By Tuesday, however, the agitation had become focused almost entirely on Nandakumar's presence.

"Every university in Kerala is rejecting this programme because of its connection to the RSS," said Niyathithara A L, SFI CUK Unit president. "The Sahitya Akademi's collaboration with Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad shows it is implementing the RSS agenda," she said.

Inside the auditorium, the event was unaffected by the protest, though several students who registered for the seminar could not attend because of the tight bandobast by the police.

Vande Mataram was rendered in full, as expected, even as the students protested outside.

Nandakumar said that the Swadeshi Movement following the 1905 Partition of Bengal succeeded in getting the British, at its peak, to annul the decision in 1911 without "towering personalities" or a "pan-Indian political party". The dig at the Congress and Congress leaders was not lost on the crowd.

“In 1905, the British Empire was in that condition to challenge the whole world on one side,” he said. “But what was the condition in 1947? The whole British Empire had shattered... Their children were standing in a queue to get a piece of bread. That was the condition. They were ready to give away the freedom at any moment.”

Nandakumar then said the Congress leadership was much stronger in 1947 than during the Swadeshi Movement, yet it failed to prevent Partition.

He said the Swadeshi Movement was led by two words: Vande Mataram. His account of the Swadeshi Movement largely left out the prominent leaders such as Surendranath Banerjee, Bipin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Aurobindo Ghose and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Nandakumar also argued that India had suffered a loss of collective memory and was now regaining it through the revival of Vande Mataram. He described the song as a “mantra” and then remarked that he was unsure whether he could use the word “mantra” at the Central University of Kerala.

In contrast, Tamil writer Maalan V Narayanan, the chief guest, spoke largely about the literary and imaginative power of Vande Mataram.

Outside, as the protest continued, Dean of Students Welfare Prof Rajendra Pilankatta and English department faculty member Dr Efthikar Ahamed tried to broker a truce between the students and the organisers. However, when they attempted to enter the venue, they too were stopped by the police, reportedly on the instructions of the organisers. CUK Vice-Chancellor Prof Siddu P Algur had left the venue before Nandakumar spoke.

“If this university does not belong to the students or faculty members, who does this university belong to? To the RSS, which is inside the auditorium?” asked an angry Rajlakshmi, an English department student.

Those injured in the push and shove with police were SFI unit secretary Syed Ali S, Plant Science student Abhirag and Muralikrishnan of the Department of International Relations.

Around 1 pm, when the dignitaries left the venue, protesting students hooted and jeered at Nandakumar.