The University College will reopen on Monday, 10 days after the alleged murder attempt on a final-year student.
The institution is likely to witness a turbulent start, even while the government have promised to usher in a transformed environment on the campus.
The eruption of violence in the college on July 12 has sparked a major political controversy that has put the government, the CPI(M) and its student wing, SFI, on the defensive. Ripples were also felt in institutions including Kerala Public Service Commission and the University of Kerala.
Despite the government having instituted a comprehensive probe and the police nabbing most of the prime accused, the Opposition parties continued to agitate, keeping the police on tenterhooks.
After a brief hiatus, the college will have a full-time principal with Babu C.C. set to assume charge on Monday. It also remains to be seen if the measures set in motion by the Higher Education Department becomes reality. Classes will commence under the tight vigil of the police at least for a few days.
Rival students’ outfits
The SFI, which has witnessed a churn over the last few days, will have an ad hoc committee in place of the panel that was earlier led by the prime accused in the stabbing incident. It is likely to witness the emergence of other rival student organisations who have been trying to create political spaces of their own on the campus.
All India Students Federation State vice-president Rahul Raj said they would formally seek permission to commence the functioning of the college unit they constituted a few days ago. While the Kerala Students Union would launch a membership drive prior to launching their own unit, the Youth Congress would take out a demonstration to the Secretariat. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also looked to exploit the situation.
SFI district secretary Riyas Vahab said the organisation had no qualms about the effort of other students’ outfits to launch their units on the campus. “In fact, we have never prevented others from engaging in political activities,” he said.
