Students of Government Medical College, Kozhikode, have opposed any move to hand over land for road-widening as a trade-off to construct a surrounding wall for the campus.
College union chairman Shawn Thomas said on Monday that the demand to complete the construction of the wall was a long-pending one as the students had been complaining about the lack of security on the campus. However, a section of local residents were opposed to it.
The roads within the campus are three-metre wide. Mr. Thomas claimed that the college authorities reportedly agreed to give up land to widen the road from Government Dental College to medical college crematorium up to 5.5-metre to address the local opposition. Now, local residents are demanding that the road be widened up to 12 metres. Mr. Thomas claimed that the college need not give up its land for the purpose. The college union is now demanding that the area leading up to the college stadium be retained. Mr. Thomas pointed out that surrounding walls had been built around the campuses of government medical colleges at Thrissur and Manjeri without giving up their own land.
Over 4,000 students and around 2,000 hospital staff are staying in various hostels and staff quarters on the campus. “Six girl students were physically attacked in a month on the campus. There are frequent reports about bike thefts. Waste is being dumped on the campus recklessly. There is stray dog menace and anti-social elements using ganja and other drugs are active in the area,” he said. Though the construction for the wall had begun in April to strengthen security measures, a group of people obstructed it.
Mr. Thomas claimed that the NGO Union too have offered support to their demand to complete the construction of the wall. The students’ union would launch a protest if the work is not completed at the earliest, he added.
