They may be divided ideologically but the excessive celebrations on the campuses seem to have united the student organisations in the State.
The Students Federation of India (SFI) has recommended a ban on the use of vehicles inside the campuses in the name of celebrations. The Kerala Students Union (KSU) wanted the government to pull up the college authorities failing to curb such practices while the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) is asking the government to ensure that students in self-financing colleges get more opportunities to express their creative talents.
“The SFI would not permit the efforts to trivialise the serious issue by stating that a movie like Premam is responsible for the incidents at the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram. The excessive celebrations on the campuses reflected a trend in Kerala society, where celebrations have become venues to display one’s money power,” said V.P. Sanu, SFI State president. A.M. Rohith, KSU State vice president, blamed the college authorities for not restricting such celebrations by invoking the already existing regulations on ensuring discipline and decorum on the campuses.
“The gang culture, which had faded away from the campuses, is now slowly returning to colleges influenced by the use of drugs and alcohol,” he said.
T. P. Asharaf Ali, MSF State president, urged the government to come up with a policy to check hostels turning into safe havens for criminal activities.
“Moreover, the government should also seriously consider the fact that students, especially in self-financing engineering colleges, have little space for creative work. The authorities have regulated such activities on such colleges paving way for excesses when they get a day to celebrate,” he said.
