‘India is not Ramrajya’: NIT Calicut puts suspension of student on hold after massive protest

NEW DELHI: National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT Calicut) office of the dean of students’ welfare has placed the suspension of Vysakh Premkumar on hold after a massive protest by the student community. Chintabar, a student collective in IIT Madras also condemned the suspension order.

Students of NIT Calicut held a protest on January 22 against the actions of the "Science and Spirituality Club", where they painted a saffron map of India comprising a bow and arrow as part of Ram temple consecration.

The right-wing students on campus allegedly assaulted Vysakh Premkumar for holding a poster that read “India is not Ramrajya”. Following this, the dean of students’ welfare issued a circular that read "he is solely accountable for inciting unrest within the community, as well as for lowering the esteem of the institute both inside and outside the campus through his irresponsible behavior”.

Vysakh is a BTech student from the electronics and communication (EC) engineering department. He was suspended for a year.

“This incident highlights the leniency of the NITC authorities towards the Sangh Parivar, as they decided to suspend Vysakh alone, without taking any action against the group of students who vandalized the posters and assaulted him,” Chintabar said in a statement.

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Massive protest at NIT Calicut

“As per the directives of the competent authority, the decision to suspend Vysakh Premkumar (B190622EC) is hereby placed on hold until the appellant authority decides the appeal submitted by the concerned student,” the latest circular from NIT Calicut DSW read.

The NITC students called it an unprecedented victory and said the DSW was initially reluctant to agree to the students' demands, however, “the indomitable resilience of the NITC student community left them with no other choice”.

Hundreds of students protested peacefully by reading the preamble of India's constitution aloud, singing Azadi slogans. Students also performed street-play and mimes.

“This exemplary strike is a historic chapter in the student movement of NITC, which continues to hold the memory of Rajan in high regard. It is also a warning to the Sanghi administration which was under the impression that they would be able to get away with violating student rights and saffronizing the campus,” the students said.