The Kerala Law Academy Law College has decided to suspend classes and indefinitely shut down the institution till further notice in view of the continuing agitation that threatens to turn violent in the event of resumption of class.
The law academy management had announced that classes would resume from Monday onwards. However, leaders of the striking students organisations and senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan made it clear that they would oppose tooth and nail the management’s moves. Mr. Muraleedharan even went to the extent of stating that the State government would be solely responsible for any untoward incident that may take place if the classes were to begin. “The agitation scene should not be converted into a battlefield,” Mr. Muraleedharan, who is into his fourth day of hunger stir said. BJP leader V.V. Rajesh is also continuing the hunger stir begun by his colleague V. Muraleedharan. A confrontation between the Students Federation of India (SFI) on one side and all the other students organisations, including the All India Students Federation, Kerala Students Union, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Muslim Students Federation appeared certain because of the SFI’s stand that its activists will attend classes.
The management is learnt to have been advised by officials on the possible threat to maintenance of law and order. Under the prevailing circumstances, the management has sought to “ensure the safety of students.” They have added that the college would function only after a permanent resolution has been attained to the prevailing impasse.
Syndicate meet
Meanwhile, the Syndicate of the University of Kerala is all set to meet, yet again to discuss the issue on Monday. The meeting was called by the Vice Chancellor at the insistence of Congress nominees, soon after Education Minister C. Ravindranath had directed the varsity to adopt the necessary steps in issues pertaining to internal assessment and alleged irregularities in the conduct of examinations at the college.
With the government deciding against taking a call on the future course of action in the matter as had been recommended by the varsity, the Syndicate has been caught in a quandary with a section of the members and the agitators demanding stringent actions against the management. The Congress members are likely to reiterate their demands for measures, including withdrawal of affiliation and takeover of the institution by the government.
