As protests and criticisms against the alleged “moral policing” of students on the Farook College campus continued, though on a low scale, on Tuesday, the management appears to have taken a wait-and-watch approach.
Sources close to the college management, said they were awaiting the report of the inquiry committee set up to look into the sequence of events that had led to a clash between students and college employees. They were also distancing themselves from the controversial speech made by a lecturer attached to the Farook Training College, saying it was delivered some time ago and that too at a religious event at Narikkuni in Kozhikode district.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) took out a protest march to the campus and symbolically celebrated “Holi” in apparent reference to the denial of permission to hold a similar programme on March 15, which precipitated the clash between students and college employees.
Inaugurating the protest, Smija P.S., DYFI State leader, said that women had won the right to equality as a result of many struggles and protests. She pointed out that the authorities were forced to revoke many of their faulty decisions following the protests undertaken by students and the youth. “Farook College has an illustrious history and a proud cultural heritage. What happened recently was not only a blot on that heritage, it is also a challenge to society,” she said.
Meanwhile, the police arrested two more staff members in connection with last week’s clash. They were identified as P. Ibrahim Kutty and Mohammed Nishad. They were released on bail later.
The inquiry panel, meanwhile, will begin consultations on Wednesday. There are six teachers, one non-teaching staff, one parent representative and a student representative on the panel. College principal P. Imbichi Koya told The Hindu that the panel would submit the report by March 22.
