Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran on Monday asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to convene an all-party meeting to discuss campus issues that have rocked self-financing institutions in the State, leading to uncertainty about the future of students.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Sudheeran highlighted the recent incidents at Nehru College, Pampadi, Toms Engineering College and the Kerala Law Academy Law College. In all these education institutions, the student community was on the path of agitation against management high-handedness, he said. In the case of Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, the issue related to the SFI’s unacceptable action against the college Principal. Expressing the Congress party’s solidarity with the students’ agitations in these institutions, Mr. Sudheeran said the government should seriously view the developments in these private institutions and take an appropriate decision related to regulation, amendments to the varsity rules, if necessary, to rein in the managements.
He was appalled by the police inaction in the investigation into the circumstances that had led to the death of Jishnu Prannoy, a student of Nehru College. There were several lapses in each stage of the case investigation and Jishnu’s parents’ complaint to the Chief Minister and the State Police Chief had not been fruitful. With regard to the Law Academy’s land, Mr. Sudheeran said the issue was brought up by Mr. Achuthanandan for the first time. At no point of time had the academy’s land issue come up for debate in public domain, he said.
He said the KPCC would set up a student relief fund to extend financial assistance to the striking students.
