Students, college teachers, and university employees, under the aegis of pro-Left organisations, will march to the Secretariat on November 30 in protest against the removal of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader S.P. Deepak from the Senate of the University of Kerala.
The Governor, the Chancellor of all universities in the State, had on Monday ordered the withdrawal of the nomination of Mr. Deepak to the Senate.
Speaking on behalf of the All-Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA), the Association of Kerala Government College Teachers (AKGCT), the Kerala University Teachers Association (KUTA), the DYFI, and the Students Federation of India (SFI), Syndicate member K.L. Vivekanandan said the removal of Mr. Deepak was undemocratic.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Governor’s order had not cited any reason for the implementation of the doctrine of displeasure. “This doctrine dates back to British India. The only reason we can think of, for Deepak’s removal, is his participation in a democratic protest during a meeting of Syndicate members on October 16 convened by the State Higher Education Council,” he said.
In reply to a question, Mr. Vivekanandan said various LDF organisations were also thinking of moving the court against the decision of the Governor. Consequent to his removal from the Senate, Mr. Deepak would also lose his place in the search committee set up to identify the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Kerala. “With this, the government perhaps hopes that the other two members could take a decision according to their with its wishes,” he added.
In his address the SFI state secretary T. P. Binish said the UDF government had used narrow political considerations to challenge and destroy the autonomy of universities.
ADVERTISEMENT