Kerala High Court tightens screws on campus politics

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday  virtually put an end to political activities on college campuses in the state by stating that holding strikes, dharna and satyagraha cannot be allowed in educational institutions. The order by a division bench headed by Chief Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan in a case connected with the students’ agitation in MES College Ponnani would have far-reaching consequences for student politics in the state. The case was  posted for further hearing on October 16.

The division bench observed,  “political activities like dharna, hunger strikes and other practices like satyagraha have no place in a constitutional democracy, much less in academic institutions.  In academic institutions, politics or political activities cannot be permitted,” it said. “Anyone indulging in the said activities in an educational institution would make himself/herself  liable to be expelled or rusticated. By their political ambition the political parties cannot hold to ransom the educational institution or the right of the civilised students to receive education,”  the court said.

“We accordingly order that if any such student is found to be resorting to and or enforcing dharna, strike or disruption of academic atmosphere of any college,  the principal or the authorities of the institution would have the right to rusticate them for these are no means to ventilate their grievances,”  it said. Coming down heavily on K.  Jishnu, SFI unit secretary in the college and the fourth respondent in the case,  the court observed,  “the first thing which crosses our mind is whether he goes to the college to indulge in politics or study, a question which he and his parents must consider, for we hold that in academic institutions politics or political activities cannot be permitted.”