Kerala: Dalit anger puts CPM in spot

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the first death anniversary of Rohit Vemula on Wednesday, a section of Dalit outfits in the state came out on the streets to protest against the growing attacks on Dalit students allegedly by SFI activists and the custodial excesses under LDF rule. The immediate provocation for Kottayam district hartal called by Cherama Sambhava Development Society (CSDS) was the recent assault on Vivek Kumaran, an M Phil student in Gandhian Studies allegedly by group of SFI activists on MG University campus.

Another Dalit student who was ragged at the Government Polytechnic College (GPC) Nattakom in Kottayam district, had suffered serious kidney damage. Five SFI activists had surrendered before the police for their alleged involvement in ragging. These incidents had created widespread anger among dalit organisations. They accused CPM and SFI which launched nationwide protests against Rohit Vemula tragic suicide, of targeting dalit students in Kerala.

“SFI is unleashing repression on students who are building Ambedkar Students Association here. After attacking Vivek, SFI stooped to the level of accusing him of supplying ganja on the campus. But these attacks are not going to deter us. We are going to organise students even at school level. They cannot prevent us from propagating Ambedkar’s ideas among students,” said Dalit activist Dhanya Raman.

“We draw inspiration from Mahatma Ayyankali who fought valiantly to ensure education for our children despite our schools being burnt down,” she said. Meanwhile, CPM district secretary V.N. Vasavan denied his party’s role in the attacks on Dalits. “We suspect certain forces are working to create a rift between Dalits and our party. There were some incidents involving students. But we don’t have any role in these attacks,” he said and reiterated SFI charge of ganja supply.

Meanwhile, Cherama Sambava Development Society  said the strong hartal in Kottayam on Wednesday should serve as a warning to CPM and its front organisations. “We are not going to take these attacks anymore. We will retaliate democratically by organising our people,” said K.K. Suresh, state president of CSDS.