Talks fail, student stir to continue

Talks convened by Education Minister C. Ravindranath to resolve the student agitation at the Kerala Law Academy Law College here on Wednesday ended without any concrete outcome with the students sticking to their stand that the college Principal be removed from the post.

Leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) walked out of the meeting close to its conclusion and leaders of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU), besides others, told reporters that they had decided to persist with the agitation till the government took a firm decision on their demand and ended the anti-student activities taking place at the college.

The Education Minister could only assure the students that a decision would be taken on their demands ‘at the earliest.’ The SFI leaders said they did not consider the talks a total failure. The Education Minister, they said, had spoken about their complaints regarding grant of internal marks, use of CCTV cameras on the campus and the Principal’s behaviour towards girl students, and that he had promised to find a solution to all these at the earliest.

On the student demand for removal of the Principal, the Minister’s assurance was that a decision would be taken immediately on receipt of the study report. “Since our primary demand for the Principal’s removal has not been met, we have decided to continue with the strike till the decision comes,” SFI State president Jaik P. Thomas said.

The demand that the college be taken over was also discussed at the meeting. The Minister did not speak against it. “We have demanded that the government should take over the college and there should always be strong government intervention at the academy,” he insisted.

Arya V. John, representing the girl students from the Law Academy Law College, said they had told the Education Minister in unmistakeable terms that there would be no compromise on the demand for the Principal’s removal. The Education Minister had promised to discuss the issue with the college management and take a decision, she added.