A training camp conducted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Mar Ivanios College ground in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has sparked a controversy, with the Students Federation of India (SFI) protesting strongly against the event. The camp, which reportedly began on Friday, April 18, was held on the college’s premises.
As the controversy escalated, the management of Mar Ivanios College has reportedly stated that no official permission was granted to the RSS to host any programme on its grounds. This has led to speculation that the clearance for the camp may have come from higher church authorities overseeing the institution.
While the purpose of the training camp remains unclear, the RSS claimed that they are organising an Officer’s Training Camp (OTC). However, the SFI—the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]—has condemned the use of educational institutions and religious spaces like temples for what they allege are ideological indoctrination camps.
In their press release, SFI said that these actions of RSS are “reprehensible” and “unconstitutional.” They accused the RSS of attempting to draw students and devotees into “extremism” under the guise of training programmes.