SNDP Yogam has formed a college protection council following a row between Sree Narayana College authorities and the SFI unit over some newly introduced curbs on the campus.
The council took out a march and held a protest meeting on Tuesday alleging that the student union has been trying to destroy the reputation of the college founded by R. Shankar in 1948.
The conflict started after the staff council’s decision to lock the main gate of the college, which was met with stiff resistance from the student union.
According to the council, a lot of outsiders have been entering the campus of late, leading to many untoward incidents and causing issues among the students. “In Kollam, all the major colleges close their gates at 9.30 a.m. and after that students can enter after showing their identity card. But when we started this practice, SFI activists created quite a ruckus, abusing and threatening the college principal,” said a council member.
Bigger agenda
Meanwhile, SFI members of the college said the allegations were part of a bigger agenda to depoliticise the campuses. “They have been targeting SFI members and imposing many restrictions for sometime now. Unlike what they claim, not just SFI but the entire students participated in the protest. All the three gates were closed and no student was allowed to enter or go out. Many of them needed to go out, as it was the last day for paying their university exam fee. Members of SFI, KSU and ABVP participated in the protest and the entire campus stood together in that,” said a SFI leader from the campus. Members also added that the current provocation for the authorities was the SFI questioning the sudden hike in management fee.
According to students, tension was brewing on the campus for nearly a year. “Many new restrictions were introduced in the last few months,” said a student.
The SFI activists also alleged that the college management was trying to mislead the public, giving a communal twist to the protest.
