Student Federation of India’s (SFI) repeated attacks on female students, denial of their right to form student unions, and obstruction of their participation in college union elections have once again come to light—this time at NSS College, Pandalam, in Pathanamthitta district. Reports suggest that SFI has normalized such practices in Kerala, where they allegedly prevent non-SFI students from organizing and routinely resort to aggression. Recently, they reportedly targeted female ABVP leaders, verbally abusing and assaulting them for leading ABVP activities on campus. ABVP has filed a formal complaint with the Pandalam Police regarding these incidents.
In the meantime, ABVP has alleged that college principal Dr. M.G. Sanalkumar takes pro-SFI actions. The principal attempts to create an impression that ABVP’s opposition to SFI and the principal is equivalent to being anti-NSS (the NSS being the community organization of Hindu Nairs). ABVP Pathanamthitta district president Arun Mohan has called on the principal to refrain from protecting SFI.
The ABVP Pandalam Nagar Committee carried out a protest march demanding that the principal stop protecting SFI members who are alleged to have attacked female students. Arun Mohan inaugurated the march. In his inaugural address, he stated that the principal’s stance is an insult to the impartiality that the ‘model’ college has been flaunting since its inception, and he called on the principal to take action against the guilty.
During the occasion, S. Aswin, the Pathanamthitta district secretary of ABVP, stated that his organization would continue the agitation until justice is ensured. The parents of the victims of the attack have filed complaints with the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
In several colleges across the state, SFI atrocities against members of other student organizations have been quite common for several decades. When the CPM is in power, these incidents increase manifold and are seen throughout the state. Since the Home Ministry is led by Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister and CPM supremo, they appear unconcerned about police action. Sujith, Kim Karun, and P.S. Anu, three active ABVP members, were murdered in Parumala Devaswom Board College on September 17, 1996, in the same Pathanamthitta district.
In most colleges, non-SFI organizations are not ‘allowed’ to file their nomination papers for college union elections. Pro-CPM teachers, professors, and even some principals assist SFI in implementing their fascist agenda on campus. This highlights the gravity of SFI’s “dagger politics,” amplified by the political clout they enjoy when the CPM is in power. At the end of the day, they declare that the entire student community supports them, justifying this claim by pointing out that others do not win college union elections.
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