Thiruvananthapuram, September 1:
Women leaders of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) were seriously injured on Monday after being allegedly targeted and attacked by male personnel of the Kerala Police during a peaceful march to Kerala University.
According to SFI, the march to the University headquarters at Kariavattom was organized to protest against what it calls the state government's surrender of universities and the higher education sector to the Sangh Parivar.
Visuals from the spot showed women protesters with injuries on their faces being carried away from the site, triggering outrage on campuses across the state.
SFI state committee said in a statement, "The peaceful march was against the systematic infiltration of the RSS into the universities and education sector of Keralam. Under the UDF government, the Sangh Parivar has been given a free license to operate inside our academic spaces."
The organization alleged that the UDF government, which had promised to resist communal forces, is now acting in accordance with the intentions of the BJP-RSS in the education sector.
"This attack on women leaders by male police personnel for raising a democratic demand is condemnable. It shows the authoritarian approach of the government towards student dissent," an SFI leader said.
The students' body asserted that the secular society of Keralam will not accept the communalization of universities and that protests will continue until the government withdraws its support for Sangh Parivar interventions in higher education.
No official statement has been issued by the Kerala Police regarding the allegations of use of excessive force so far.
