CUK protests: Registrar-headed teachers’ body raises ‘anti-national’ bogey; students question inquiry fairness

Kasaragod: An influential RSS-linked teachers’ organisation headed by the Registrar in-charge has raised the spectre of “anti-national forces” behind the student protests at the Central University of Kerala, prompting student bodies to question the impartiality of the inquiry committee he constituted.

The university's unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh, headed by the university’s registrar in-charge, Prof VP Joshith, said it suspected the presence of “anti-national forces” behind what it described as deliberate attempts to destroy the peaceful and academic atmosphere of the university.

The statement, issued on Saturday, came two days after Prof Joshith, in his capacity as registrar in-charge, constituted a five-member committee to examine complaints submitted by university officials over incidents during a two-day national seminar on Vande Mataram on October 6 and 7.

Student organisations, except for the RSS's students' wing ABVP, are on protest after the university's proctor, Prof Sreekumar P, suspended five students for disrupting his presentation during the two-day seminar. Prof Sreekumar is the vice-president of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh's CUK unit.

The seminar, organised by the Sahitya Akademi at the university’s library hall to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, had triggered protests by student organisations over the participation of RSS-linked figures.

The ABRSM statement strongly condemned what it described as attempts by the CPM's SFI, Congress's NSUI, IUML's Muslim Students' Federation, and Welfare Party of India's Fraternity to disrupt the seminar "under the guise of protests". It also accused the protesters of insulting invitees and attempting to personally vilify university authorities through television and other media.

The meeting of the Shaikshik Mahasangh "expressed concern that deliberate attempts were being made to destroy the peaceful and academic atmosphere of the university. It also expressed concern that the presence of anti-national forces behind these attempts needed to be suspected”, its statement said.

Joshith, who is also a professor in the Department of Education, was involved in the discussions with protesting students on Friday, SFI said. On October 8, he constituted a five-member committee of teachers through a circular to inquire into the complaints that have arisen from the protests.

Given his position in the Shaikshik Mahasangh, and the stance taken by the organisation on the protest, serious questions arise regarding the impartiality of the process, said SFI.

It said Prof Joshith informed the students about the circular on the evening of October 9 only after they were on a day-long protest against the suspension of five students.

The NSUI condemned the teachers’ organisation for portraying the protesting students as anti-national. “It is a matter of concern that the proctor and the registrar in charge hold key positions in an organisation that is now pushing the idea that the protests were driven by anti-national forces,” said Muhammed Yasin, president of the NSUI’s CUK unit.

Central University students protested the presence of RSS leaders during the seminar on Vande Mataram on October 6. On October 7, Governor Rajendra Arlekar dubbed the protest an agitation against Vande Mataram. This provoked the students to disrupt the presentation of Proctor Sreekumar after the Governor's address. The police booked 25 unnamed students for unlawful assembly and rioting. Later, the Proctor, as the disciplinary authority, suspended five students.