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Mangaluru college students clash over Savarkar portrait in classroom
Two student groups on Friday entered into a violent clash at a college in Mangaluru over hanging of a photograph of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in classroom.
Two student groups on Friday entered into a violent clash at a college in Mangaluru over hanging of a photograph of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in classroom.
According to senior officers in Mangaluru police, the clash took place between members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Campus Front of India at University College, a constituent college of Mangalore University.
“The scuffle broke out during the lunch break on Friday. There was an argument between the two groups. They verbally abused each other over the issue and then got into a physical altercation. Some students from CFI have been admitted to a hospital. We are looking into the matter and an investigation will be conducted,” said a senior police officer.
A group of students had hung a portrait of Savarkar above a blackboard in a college classroom on Monday.
College principal Anasuya Rai said the college removed the portraits as they had been mounted without any permission. The students concerned were warned and they apologised later in writing for violating the discipline.
Ismail B, General Secretary of Dakshina Kannada Youth Congress, demanded action against these students who were being this incident. “Mahatma Gandhi is our role model. The education department might have issued a circular making it clear whose portraits can be mounted in educational institutions. The circular should be followed,” he said, adding the particular incident appears to be an attempt to create a controversy.
Meanwhile, three Muslim girls, who were served show-cause notices by University College, failed to attend college on Thursday or reply to the notice. College principal Rai said the three students had conducted a press conference over the hijab ban and addressed the media during class hours.
The students were served show-cause notice for the same and they were asked to submit their response by Thursday. Since the students failed to respond and also didn’t appear in the college, the management is planning action against the students.
PS Yadapadithaya, the vice-chancellor of Mangalore University, said Muslim girl students will be suspended from the college if they fail to give a reply to the show cause notice.
On Thursday, The First Grade Degree College in Uppinangady, Dakshina Kannada revoked the suspension of six students after they submitted an undertaking that they will follow the dress code of the college. These students were suspended for wearing hijab inside the classrooms and holding a protest.
According to college officials, they gave the undertaking on Wednesday and they were allowed to enter the classes without hijab. These students were suspended on June 1. After the suspension of six girls, the college suspended one more girl last week. On June 7, another 24 students had been suspended. The seventh student remains suspended.
Sanjeeva Matandoor, Puttur MLA and chairman of the College Development Committee, said students have been told to give an undertaking in writing that they will abide by the dress code prescribed by the college. “Most of the students are attending the classes, but some protesting students are staying away from the classes. If anyone violates the high court order the college will suspend them,” he said.
