Communal overtones have been cast over the student protests at Amal Jyothi College of Engineering in Kerala’s Kanjirappally, insinuating that it is a conspiracy to malign a Christian institution. The protests began after Sradha Satheesh, a second-year student of the college died by suicide in her hostel room on June 2, following which allegations of mental harassment and moral policing towards students by the college management surfaced. The college is run by the Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Kanjirapally, and students who participated in protests are now being threatened with 'wanted' posters of their photos on social media by Christian-right wing groups.
On Friday, June 9, Christian organisations primarily led by Syro-Malabar Youth Movement (SMYM) and All Kerala Catholic Congress (AKCC), with the participation of Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA), conducted a rally from the Cathedral Church in Kanjirappally, the seat of power of the diocese.
Additionally, CASA also released a statement claiming that those with vested interests are attempting to ruin Christian establishments under the guise of student protests. CASA is a group in north Kerala that professes an extreme pro-Christian ideology, defined by its contempt for Muslims. Stating that the Amal Jyothi protests have prompted mainstream political parties, student organisations, and other organisations to further their anti-Christian agenda, CASA’s statement read, “If we remain complacent and silent despite seeing this, it will be an incentive to such groups. Our silence will lead to the ruin of our institutions and of the coming generations. It is high time that the Church, irrespective of differences of rites, understands this and comes together against such evil forces. From now on, our disunity should not be the reason fingers are pointed at us unjustly. Hence, a strong protest is necessary in the Amal Jyothi issue.”
This anti-Christian rhetoric however, started on June 6, when Vicar General of the Diocese of Kanjirapally, Boby Alex Mannamplackal, released a video with an official explanation regarding the death of Sradha. In the video, he claimed that people with an “agenda” and “vested interests” were behind the protests that followed. He alleged that there has been “a tendency to single out Christian institutions and then attack them.”
On the same day (June 6), the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) also released a statement saying that it was concerned over the “planned” tension prevailing at Amal Jyothi college. KCBC also sought the government to intervene and take immediate steps in the matter.
One of the students who was part of the protests told TNM that they came across many social media posts that accused students of communalising the issue and tarnishing the image of the college. “There was a specific issue at that point – of a staff talking about Muslim students standing in the front of a protest. Now, the organisations coming in support of the college are just trying to protect the college,” the student said.
Another student whose photo is being circulated widely in social media with the labels “wanted” and “Islamic jihadi” told TNM that he is neither a Muslim nor a person who communalised the issue. “We all know that the protest was to seek justice for Sradha. None of the students who protested spoke about religion at all, or anything about Christianity. Our protest was against the college that was responsible for her death and not towards any religion,” he said, adding that they did not want to respond to it and divert the focus from Sradha’s death.
However, the communal narrative is now being taken forward by many pages on social media. Multiple social media pages, allegedly run by right-wing Christian groups, are now posting the images of protesting students from the videos that appeared on television channels, and labelling them as “terrorists” and “wanted”. A Facebook post on the page Christian Cyber Warriors claimed that the students peddled false narratives about religious attacks in the college. With the photos of a few students captured from TV channel news footage, the post says that they were the reason behind “communalising” the issue. The post also warns Christians to be aware of the “problems” that might be created in the future.
The post refers to an incident during the protest, when a staff member allegedly said, “All those standing in front are wearing headscarves”, pointing to a group of students. This religious profiling provoked students, leading to an escalation in the protests. On yet another page, it is said that “Muslim organisations and their money” were behind the protests, while another page claimed that “Islamic Jihadis” were behind the issue.
The protests at Amal Jyothi, which initially began demanding justice for Sradha, soon grew into a large student agitation asking for accountability and fair treatment from the college management. It was supported by many former students of the college who shared their experiences of moral policing and emotional torture at the institution. The protests also had the solidarity of the Kerala Student Federation of India (SFI), Kerala Students Union (KSU), and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Following this, a meeting led by Higher Education Minister R Bindu was held on June 7, where the management agreed to strengthen the counselling system, among other decisions.
Watch: Amal Jyothi students allege moral policing, slut-shaming | Sradha Satheesh
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.