Thiruvananthapuram: One student was stabbed today during clashes between SFI activists in University College, which is dominated by the communist student organization. The injured student, Akhil, is also an active member of SFI. Surprisingly, the violence has led to college students at the campus to rise against the totalitarianism of SFI.
Akhil, who is a final degree student, is undergoing treatment at a hospital and his health is critical with the doctors struggling to stop the internal bleeding.
Akhil’s father told the media that Akhil was manhandled last year by SFI leaders. Though Akhil had complained to CPI(M) leadership, no action was taken against those who beat him up.
Today, clashes broke out after SFI unit leaders objected to Akhil singing in the campus. He was dragged and roughed up and one SFI activist stabbed him in the chest. Eyewitnesses say that at first SFI leaders prevented others from taking him to hospital.
However, the leaders relented after other college students including girls began to protest violently against the atrocities of SFI. They even destroyed the SFI college office and staged a protest in front of the Secretariat and in front of the college gate. The protestors, majority of them SFI members, demanded that strict action must be taken against those who stabbed and injured Akhil.
After the police calmed the protesting students, they returned to the college campus. There some of the students were roughed up by SFI leaders and their goons.
Media who pictured the clashes were asked to leave the campus. The principal too asked the media to leave the campus. When asked about the stabbing incident the principal said he was unaware of any such incident.
ABVP and other student organizations protested against the violence in University College. The police quickly removed these protesting students to avoid wider clashes and violence.
The sudden outburst against the SFI by its own cadres in a college dominated by SFI is first of its kind in the State. The students openly spoke to the media about the totalitarian behaviour of SFI leaders towards the students. They are not allowed to express themselves or speak against the communist party.
Ironically, the SFI activists are protesting for freedom from the SFI itself.
SFI goons have been unleashing violence against political rivals and even ordinary citizens for a long time. There are many instances when students and citizens were manhandled on the suspicion that they belonged to a rival party.
Not long ago a girl student was threatened for wearing a rakhi. ABVP supporters cannot enter the campus without fear of being attacked and even killed.
Any student who dares to file nomination for election against SFI will be hunted down mercilessly. The student will be thrashed at special places in the campus reserved for such violence. If the student is male he will be charged in some drug case and if the student is female she will be accused of immoral activities and shamed.
In 2015 a first-year geography blind student, Sajan, was beaten up for not attending college the day before Sri Krishna Jayanthi. The other ‘mistake’ that Sajan did according to SFI was that he had his mobile covered in an orange cover.
A few months ago a girl tried to commit suicide after mental torture by SFI leaders. She later had to transfer to another college because of harassment.
University College is the best example of how a communist-dominated institution or place could end up being.
