With an aim to prevent increasing drug abuse among students in the state, the Kerala High Court recently ordered the state government to set up ‘campus police units’. The directive by the HC division bench consisting of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice AM Shaffique on February 10, was based on a representation given by retired IPS officer N Ramachandran (former Kottayam District Police Chief) detailing the issues of growing drug abuse in the state. However student bodies have raised concerns, apprehensive of the possible presence of police officials inside campuses, following the directive.
N Ramachandran’s petition had resulted in the court asking for reports from the Kerala Police, seeking details of measures currently undertaken.
The Special Branch of Kerala Police then told the court that there was a significant increase in the number of drug abuse cases and that about 400 educational institutions in the state are affected by drug abuse. Shockingly, out of these institutions, 74.12 percent are schools, 20.89 percent are colleges and 4.97 percent are other educational institutions including ITIs and Polytechnic institutes.
One of the recommendations by the court is that the state special branch should establish ‘Campus Police Units’ to “conduct regular checking inside the educational institutions, or personal search of students by the police and the Excise department”. The recommendation also asks the state to take measures “to make it easier for enforcement agencies to enter the educational institutions, so as to enforce the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.”
The HC has also given a list of directions, including conducting awareness programs, taking aid of student police cadets and members of NSS and NCC and having rehabilitation mechanisms in place. These are to be enforced by the state and the Kerala Police to ensure that educational institutions are drug free.
However the order does not clarify on who will constitute ‘campus police units’ and this point has given way to apprehension among students.
Police presence in colleges is not welcome at all, says Students Federation of India (SFI)-- the student wing of the CPI(M) -- National President VK Sanu. “Direct presence of police on campus will create many problems including intimidation of students and even issues of moral policing,” Sanu tells TNM.
Sanu also adds that drug abuse is certainly an issue that many campuses face. “But what we need to do is build strong awareness among students. And any decision involving campuses should be discussed with students, who are the main stakeholders,” Sanu adds stating that an intimation in this regard will be given to the state government by SFI.
Meanwhile talking to TNM, former Kerala Police Chief and Director General of Police (retired) Jacob Punnoose says that there is nothing to feel intimidated about the directive. “Even when the concepts of Students Police Cadets and Janamaithri Police stations were brought in first, there was widespread apprehension and concern. But this was due to the misunderstanding among people and in this case also, it is the same. The aim of such campus police units will be to empower the community in the campus to effectively deal with the issue of drug menace,” says Jacob Punnoose.
But for that there is no need for police intervention, argues Sneha RV Haripad, Vice President of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the students wing of the Congress party. “Universities and colleges should form special groups including students and teachers to monitor and report such incidents and to create awareness. If at all police intervention is required, it should be limited to night patrolling to ensure that anti-social elements are not inside campuses,” says Sneha.
Last February, the High Court banned any protest activities by students which disrupt the normal functioning of educational institutions. "The move to curtail or regulate campus politics should also be looked at in relation to this. When campuses cease to have a creative atmosphere enabled by politics and arts, issues of drug abuse pops up," she adds.