Imbibing the spirit of conciliation thrust upon by a ministerial panel led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Calicut University (Vice Chancellor M. Abdul Salam began discussions with the striking students on Wednesday.
However, the talks with the students reached a deadlock when Dr. Salam and his Syndicate colleagues could not offer a solution. The talks will continue on Thursday morning.
The decision to continue the talks with the striking Students Federation of India (SFI) activists was seen as a result of a crucial meeting convened in Thiruvananthapuram by the Chief Minister, in which both Dr. Salam and the Syndicate members were told to forget their differences and work positively for the progress of the university.
The Syndicate members, particularly P.M. Niyas, were reportedly in praise for Dr. Salam during the talks they held with the students. Mr. Niyas appeared in no mood to bring about a solution to the ongoing crisis on the campus when other members such as V.P. Abdul Hameed and Abdul Ali took a sympathetic stand towards the students. University authorities will continue discussions to find a solution to the hostel issue on the campus on Thursday by including undergraduate students of the physical education programmes too.
Students were divided over the issue of giving hostel admission to self-financing students of the physical education programmes. When the SFI insisted that the self-financing students should not be given alternative accommodation on the campus, the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) sought hostel admission for the self-financing students.
The university authorities indicated that the mood on the campus had turned from defiance to reconciliation, thanks to the intervention of the Chief Minister.
