Six students of Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, involved in violence following a ‘beef festival’ conducted on the college campus were suspended on Monday.
College authorities said the Students Federation of India (SFI) activists were suspended for violating college discipline.
The festival conducted by the SFI on October 1 created tension on the campus as students belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) tried to stop the function. A clash between the students followed and the police registered cases against 12 SFI activists.
The festival was conducted on the campus in protest against the lynching of a man at Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, accusing him of eating beef. The SFI activists distributed beef and bread to students.
College Principal C.M. Latha said non-vegetarian dishes were not allowed on the college campus as part of any public function. The SFI did not ask permission of the Principal for conducting such a festival.
“Serving of beef as part of a public festival is against the tradition of the college. So, the management felt it was not proper to conduct a beef festival on the campus. Though the SFI students were told to conduct the beef protest outside the campus, they insisted on conducting it on the campus,” said the Principal.
Show cause notice has been served on office-bearers of both the SFI and the ABVP in connection with the violence, she said.
Six SFI activists against whom the police have taken cases in connection with the clashes on the campus have been suspended, said Johnson K. Mangalam, chairman of the disciplinary action committee of the college.
Action will be taken against more students involved in the clashes. Explanation will be sought from the ABVP workers for instigating violence, he said. “Period of suspension will be decided after an inquiry,” he added.
Meanwhile, there has been protest from parents and teachers against the agitations by students of various organisations.
“Agitations by students unions steal a major part of working days in the college. As a result, teachers are not able to complete lessons. More over, dilapidated buildings and poor infrastructure cause threat to the life of students,” complained M.O. Joy, a parent.
