SFI has accused the governor, Arif Mohammed Khan of nominating representatives from ABVP and other sangh parivar organisations to the senate of Calicut and Kerala Universities at the behest of the BJP leadership, in an attempt to saffronise the higher education institutions.

THE nomination of four ABVP members to the senate of University of Kerala by the governor, Arif Mohammed Khan has been stayed by the High Court. The governor has violated the eligibility conditions for nominations under the students constituency and had rejected the nominations recommended by the university. The Kerala High Court stayed the nominations of the governor, after two students originally nominated by the university had filed a case.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) observed an ‘Education Strike’ on December 6 and took out a march to the Raj Bhavan, condemning the governor’s attempts to saffronise the higher education campuses in the state. December 7 was observed as ‘Higher Education Protection Day’, while the student council members of Calicut and Kerala Universities held a 24- hour dharna against the actions of the governor.

The SFI has accused the governor of nominating sangh parivar associated members to the senates of the two universities, acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership. The SFI claimed that 16 of the 18 nominations to the Calicut University and 15 of the 17 nominees to the Kerala University were associated with different sangh groups.

The SFI said that the four nominations to the student constituencies were against the prescribed rules of the Kerala University. As per the norms, two students with academic excellence and one each with achievements in arts and sports departments should be nominated. But, the governor had nominated ineligible students, including office bearers of the ABVP, the sangh parivar students wing.

P M Arsho, the state secretary of the SFI welcomed the stay order pronounced by the High Court and termed it as a major setback to the saffronisation agenda of the governor. He accused the governor of dancing to the tunes of the BJP state leadership, violating the constitutional mandates and intervening in the day-to-day activities of the higher education institutions. The SFI state committee has announced to continue the protests against the governor.

Arsho claimed that the BJP leadership has provided the list of nominees to the office of the governor since one of the nominees is the wife of an RSS leader, jailed for murdering the father of an SFI leader in Thiruvananthapuram and two nominees are office bearers of ABVP units. Journalists working with Janam TV and Janmabhumi, the official mouthpieces of the BJP in Kerala have found a place in the senate thanks to the governor. He added that seven representatives from the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League have found their place in the senate of Calicut University and accused the student organisations of these parties of remaining silent over the violations of the governor.

K Anushree, the SFI state president accused the governor of implementing the agendas of RSS in Kerala and functioning as per the training provided in RSS shakhas. She emphasised the need to protect the democratic, secular and inclusive atmosphere prevailing in the higher education campuses. She said the saffronisation attempts of the BJP government began with the imposition of the NEP and the removal of important portions from the NCERT text books.

The SFI continues to hold protests against the governor, including black flag protests. The governor has been continuously issuing statements against the LDF government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and passing derogatory comments against the SFI for holding protests.
Pinarayi Vijayan advised the governor to function as per the advice of the state government as mandated by the Constitution of India and not to provoke the government continuously as part of the political agenda. He added that the attempts of the governor to threaten and blackmail the government won't work in Kerala.