Police posted in front of Maharaja’s College in Kochi on January 18, 2024 morning.
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, Kerala, has been closed down indefinitely after the unit secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) was allegedly stabbed by a group of students affiliated to the Fraternity Movement on January 18 (Thursday).
The college hostels have also been shut down in the wake of the incident. An emergency meeting of the college council decided to close down the institution indefinitely in view of the possibility of tensions on the campus following the stabbing incident.
College authorities have sought the assistance of the police to avert further incidents involving the warring members of various student organisations.
The council resolved to submit a detailed report before the Department of Higher Education about the continuing incidents of violence on the campus for some time. The autonomous college had witnessed clashes between activists of the SFI and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) last week. The report will include the various incidents that led to the tensions on the campus recently.
The authorities pointed out that they have requested the department to recommend measures to ensure law and order on the campus and avert further incidents of violence. Though there was a proposal to convene an all-party meetinng to sort out the differences between the student organisations, it has been put on hold and will be held as per the directive issued by the Department of Higher Education.