Keralam will not allow students’ protests to be suppressed: Viswam

Keralam will not allow students’ protests against communalisation of education to be suppressed, Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam has said. Mr. Viswam, in a statement, condemned the "cruel” police lathicharge against Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists, including female students.

Students’ movements in Keralam had the tradition of protesting against all issues that affected the education sector or the State. Brutal beatings and sacrifice for it were not not unheard of. The United Democratic Front (UDF) government was cracking down on the students’ protests in order to go along with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre, Mr.

Viswam said. Discussions had been held during the national movement itself about the anti-secular content of Vande Mataram. That was the reason why national leaders, including Gandhi and Nehru, took the stand that the later stanzas would not be recognised as national song, Mr.

Viswam said. The amendment to the The Prevention of Insults To National Honour Act requiring that Vande Mataram be sung in full was brought in by the Hindutva forces to “other” religious minorities. This move should be resisted by all democratic, secular forces.

However, the V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government was showing its loyalty to the Union government by cracking down on protesting students, Mr. Viswam said.