A beef-eating fest by the Student Federation of India (SFI), the Left’s student organization at the Sree Kerala Varma College in Thrissur on October 1 has become a full-blown controversy after college authorities initiated enquiry against a lecturer who had openly supported the event.
Deepa Nisanth, a lecturer working with the Malayalam department wrote in a Facebook post that if people wanted action to be taken against those teachers who supported the beef fest, her name should be right on top of the list.
“I strongly disagree with the opinion that educational institutions should be like temples. Educational institutions should not be following temple practices. I saw many demanding that action should be taken against teachers supporting the beef fest. I wish my name would be right on top of the list of people to be ousted… I support strikes that are necessary for the times.”
The lecturer’s post went viral, resulting in ABVP and Yuva Morcha demanding the college take action against her.
Even as the college and police enquiry progressed, Deepa’s post (which she later deleted) became the centre of attraction on social media. People started posting updates with #SupportDeepaNisanth hashtag.
Though some reports suggested that the Kochi Devaswom Board that runs the college has initiated an enquiry against Deepa Nisanth, college Principal CM Latha denied the same. C.M. “There were no plans to take action against teachers. Non-vegetarian food is prohibited inside campus and students did not take prior permission to hold the fest. They burnt down a room (union office) and it is a serious crime. We suspended the students as there was a police case against them for the violence and vandalism. An explanation was sought from ABVP also,” she told The News Minute.
Six SFI leaders had been suspended on Monday for conducting a beef festival and protest following the murder of Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh allegedly over rumours of storing and consuming beef.
The beef festival in the campus had resulted in clashes between ABVP and SFI when ABVP workers tried to block the SFI activists’ distributing beef dishes.
The suspended students were arrested and later left on bail for attacking ABVP workers as per the complaint filed by the college. The college union office was burnt during the clashes and some of the ABVP students were severely injured, with some of them having to be reportedly hospitalised.