The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) on Monday decided to observe a black day against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is also the Chancellor of Universities. A communication dispatched by the organisation has instructed teachers at all university campuses to wear black badges.
"Organizational leadership should overcome the technical difficulties and ensure that all teachers wear black badges," the Left-leaning association FUTA said. A sample of the badge was attached to the letter.
"This is a serious situation where the Chancellor is obstructing the independent functioning of the university. He aims to speed up the pace of saffronisation and implement a fascist system. Universities are the first places where resistance begins," the letter said.
SFI erects more banners
Meanwhile, the CPI(M)'s student wing, SFI, on Monday intensified its ongoing battle with the Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan by putting up banners against him in colleges across the state.
A banner outside the Government Sanskrit College in the state capital said Khan as Chancellor should be working for the universities and not the Sangh Parivar. Banners have also been erected at NSS College, Pandalam and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.
The police have tightened the security at the Raj Bhavan considering the intesifying protests against the Kerala Governor.
The Students' Federation of India (SFI) had on Sunday night announced it would be putting up hundreds of posters and banners against Khan in the Calicut University in Malappuram district as well as colleges across the state.
The students outfit decided to take the step after some of its banners outside the university's guest house, where the Governor is staying, were pulled down by the police on the directions of Khan.
The Governor was incensed that the banners were not removed even after he had pointed them out on Sunday afternoon and lashed out at the police for not taking any action.
Enraged by SFI banners outside the Calicut University guest house terming him a "sanghi" and demanding he "go back", Khan alleged that these were put up by the state police on the directions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The allegation was made in a press release issued by the Raj Bhavan. Khan had also questioned the police deployed at the university whether such banners would have been allowed if the CM were staying there.
Later, SFI activists led by its state secretary P M Arsho arrived there and put up more banners with one of them saying -- "down down chancellor." They shouted slogans against the Governor, allegedly called him a "scoundrel", and also burned his effigy.
(With PTI inputs.)
