The Kerala High Court on Wednesday banned strikes, gherao and sit-in protests that would affect 'academic atmosphere' in campuses.
The judgement was delivered after considering 20-odd petitions filed by various college managements in the last three years.
Delivering the judgement, the court said learning is the fundamental right of the students. "Campuses are places for creative dialogues and discussions. They should not be venues of the protests," the court said.
Students organisations have slammed the verdict.
Kerala Students' Union (KSU), the students' wing of the Congress, said the order will have a negative impact on the society. "This is unacceptable. The state government should appeal against the verdict," KSU state president KM Abhijith said.
Students' Federation of India, the students' wing of the CPM, said that the order was fundamentally against the constitutional rights.
"The right to dissent is the foundation of Indian democracy. The court order violates the right to freedom of speech and expression granted by Article 19(A) and the right to assemble peaceably and without arms granted by Article 19(B) of the Constitution," said a release issued by SFI state president V A Vineesh and secretary K M Sachin Dev.
Previous ban
The High Court had banned politics and protests on college campuses, through an interim order, in 2017. The order said that college authorities could expel students found trying to disrupt the 'academic atmosphere' at an institute with any kind of agitation.
“Education and politics should not go together. Strikes and satyagrahas should not be allowed on campus. Those who organise strikes should be expelled,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Navaniti Prasad said, after hearing a petition by MES College in Ponnani.
