Kerala Law Academy Stir and How Marxists have Destroyed Educational Institutions in Kerala
- In Politics
- 01:15 PM, Feb 22, 2017
- Satisan Talappilli
The students’ power won and Kerala Law Academy stir ended on the 29th day. Principal Dr. Lakshmi Nair is out for good after students had been demanding to have her ousted since the last one month. SFI, the students’ wing of CPIM is totally isolated from the students’ community. CPM once again proved that they are always with divisive forces, but they had to bow to the students’ unity and the conscience of the people of Kerala.
The dramatic end to the agitation came when Minister V.S. Sunilkumar and his state secretary Kanam Rajendran took initiative to meet the warring student leaders after the matter was discussed in the cabinet meeting. It followed the meeting chaired by education minister C. Raveendranath which was attended by student leaders, V.S. Sunilkukumar, senior CPI leader Pannnyan Raveendran and KLA director Narayanan Nair. This time contrary to the agreement reached between SFI and the management a few days back, management gave in writing that Dr. Lakshmi Nair will never come back as the Prinicipal. The document also says, she has been removed from the post. Management has already advertised for a new principal. The new candidate shall meet the university norms and his credentials should be as per the university guidelines. Interestingly the agreement between SFI and the management read ‘Lakshmi Nair will not be the principal or faculty member for the next five years.’ It meant, she could come back after five years or even before if she gets a court order.
The college reopened on February 13. The premises of KLA burst with joy and celebration. ABVP led the agitation from the very beginning as SFI came late and was always a ‘reluctant partner.’ Unlike AISF and KSU, ABVP has got a statewide network which was always helpful for leading such an agitation to the victory. That BJP leader V. Muraleedharan went for indefinite hunger strike is ABVP’s achievement. When the former ABVP leader started hunger strike, Congress and CPI could smell the imminent achievement for Sangh parivar. So, they all came around. This led to a great popular force. ABVP leaders Nidhish and Shyamraj played crucial role as the cementing force to maintain the unity among various student organizations and girls which led the movement into sterling victory.
The resignation of centenarian Ayyappan Pillai, the senor leader of BJP, as the chairman of KLA in support of the students struggle, was a heavy blow to Narayanan Nair and Lakshmi Nair.
Here is the chronology of Kerala Law Academy stir:
BJP state Vice President and prominent Dalit leader P.P. Vava lost his left eye when police attacked and manhandled the participants of the BJP protest march condemning the Kerala Law Academy Principal Dr. Lakshmi Nair’s atrocities against the students including abusing the Dalit students. Arm of Renu Suresh, another Dalit leader of Kerala BJP and the state president of Bharatiya Mahila Morcha was broken in the police brutality when she led the Morcha’s march to mark the protest against the attack on P.P. Vava.
When news spreads about even fabricated news of Dalit atrocity in other states, especially in the north, CPIM, their intellectual apologists and other fellow travelers rush to the plot and resort to all sorts of political gimmicks like award vapsi, demonstrations, joint statements, etc. If the place in question is a university or a college the whole army of the pseudo secularists march to the gate and protest before the channel cameras. If at all the victim is not a Dalit, they make him Dalit. If at all his dying declaration said that he was disappointed with the CPM leaders’ caste discrimination, they came out to paint him as their comrade and establish that he died due to the Sangh parivar atrocity! But, when it happens in CPM-ruled state, things are the other way around. They would not touch it even with a bamboo pole. This is what Thriuvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, witnesses. The students of Kerala Law Academy Law College (KLA) in Thiruvananthapuram, a stone throw away from the secretariat building, have been agitating against the management demanding the immediate and unconditional resignation Principal Dr. Lakshmi Nair, celebrity chef and regular anchor of cookery shows being telecast by CPM controlled Kairali channel.
Lakshmi Nair is a known CPIM supporter (even though his father and brother claim to be CPI men). Her father’s brother Koliyakkodu Krishnan Nair. Ex MLA, is a CPM state committee member and one of the board members of KLA. She recently said that if at all she joins any party it will be CPM. An important allegation against her is abusing the Dalit students. Several students and their parents complain that Lakshmi Nair’s first priority is cookery shows and travelogues for CPM controlled TV channel. They allege that her only involvement in the college is harassing the students and parents and nepotism in the form of internal marks and attendance. Her favorite students get attendance and internal marks as per her choice. Others are sentenced to be losers! Her son’s fiancée, a senior student controls the girls’ hostel. Girls allege that she gets internal marks and attendance abundantly; her close friends also get the same privilege. Girls cannot go out without the future bahu’s approval.
ABVP, AISF (CPI-led), KSU (Congress-led),MSF (Muslim League-led) started the agitation against the management and principal of the KLA. The significant development was the pro active participation of the girls from the college hostel. Most of them do not have anything to do with any political or student bodies. They told the media boldly that they were for the immediate removal of Lakshmi Nair. Later on SFI joined the agitation reluctantly. After the KLA students started their agitation, former BJP state president (also former national general secretary of ABVP) V. Muraleedharan started an indefinite hunger strike in front of the college. BJP national general secretary Muraleedhar Rao, Kummanam Rajasekhran and other prominent leaders visited him in the pandal. Suddenly senior leaders of Congress and CPI started to visit the pandal and address the students. Even though CPM was keeping away from the agitation, despite SFI’s participation, former CM and veteran CPM leader who is also the bête noir of CM Pinarayi came to the pandal and addressed the agitators. He demanded the immediate government takeover of the excess land KLA has been enjoying along with the campus.
ABVP has been taking lead role in KLA agitation from the very beginning. During the first three days, Lakshmi Nair was reported to be absconding. The KLA authorities did not disclose where she was. Students erected boards saying “Principal Lakshmi Nair Went Underground” (“Principal Lakshmi Nair Olivil” in Malayalam). Then she gave interviews to the media in her usual arrogant style; she also tried to justify her stand; but miserably failed. Then she convened a press conference in a nearby hotel which was literally under war-like police security. Even thought it was practically impossible for the students to enter the venue, two ABVP students barged into the hall and raised loud slogans demanding her immediate resignation. They spread the saffron flag of ABVP on the media mikes placed on the table in front of her. The perplexed Nair did not dare to ask the police to remove the ABVP workers who kept on disrupting her press meet.
Meanwhile, Kerala University’s Syndicate, a body with CPM majority, sent its Sub Committee to collect the statements and evidences with regard to the allegations raised by the students and their parents. After the hearing the subcommittee, allegedly at the behest of CPM leaders, devised a formula and passed a resolution debarring the principal from all sorts of examinations related duties for 5 years. Even though the Congress and CPI members argued for stricter measures, CPM members, with the vote of government secretaries, etc. passed the resolution.
SFI was a part of the agitation for couple of weeks, along with other student bodies, and demanded the resignation of the principal. One fine morning they reached some agreement with the management and withdrew from the agitation. When all other student bodies had walked out from the meeting with the management due to their (management’s) arrogance and high handedness, SFI met them again and they swallowed some sops extended to them. One was an understanding from the management that the principal would keep away from the position of not only the principal but also even a faculty. Then, a new principal would come and the students’ complaints about the anomalies in internal marks, attendance and caste discrimination would be addressed; CCTV cameras near the bathrooms of the girls’ hostel would be removed; girls would get freedom to go for shopping on week-ends; extra constitutional powers of the fiancée of principal’s son, a senior student in the same college and the de facto college hostel boss, would be terminated, etc. When SFI withdrew from the agitation and CPM leaders raised it as the culmination of the agitation, other student bodies did not accept it. They rightly said, there was no guarantee for the no return of the Dr. Nair to the principal’s position. Moreover she was supposed to take over as the head of the research wing of KLA in another campus. They were afraid of the cruel sort of revenge from her against those who spoke against her during the agitation. In fact, Dr. Nair had told her close associates that she was keenly watching the who is who list of the students who speak against her and she would take ‘proper’ steps when everything settles down. In the meantime, Principal kept on telling the media that she would not resign come what may. But, later on, allegedly due to the advice of CPM leaders, she softened the stand and said, she would resign if her father and director of KLA Dr. Narayanan Nair asks her to do so.
Dalit students had even complained that they were forced to do the cleaning and serving jobs in a restaurant that Principal runs near the college. They were even asked to distribute the publicity pamphlets of the restaurant among the drunkards who queue up in front of the nearby booze outlet of Beverages Corporation. Girls complained that Dr. Nair abused them for wearing western clothes, talking to the boys, etc.
Vivek Vijayagiri and Selvan, the Dalit students, who were the victims of the principal’s caste slur, had complained to the local police station long back, but no action was taken. The State Human Rights Commission also has registered a suo motu case against Lakshmi Nair on similar grounds. When the doctors found V. Muraleedharan’s health deteriorated after a week of hunger strike, he was moved to the hospital. BJP state secretary V.V. Rajesh took over from Muraleedharan and continued the hunger strike.
There are reports of money laundering committed by KLA after November 8. Alleged amount is Rs 2.25 crores. Students allege that some students with PAN cards were deployed to exchange the demonetized currency notes after November 8. On top of all these allegations comes the issue of misuse of land. It is a grave issue. It speaks of the blatant violation of law and rules.
The 11.49 acre land belonged to P.S. Nataraja Pillai, finance minister in Thiru-Kochi before the formation of the Kerala State. His land was confiscated by Sir C.P. Rama Swamy Iyer, the autocratic Divan of Thiruvithancore state in 1940s for his dynamic involvement in the freedom struggle. When he became the minister in Pattam Thanu Pillai ministry in Thiru-Kochi, the CM himself told him about giving the land back to him; but he magnanimously refused to take it back and lived in a small house. He was elected to Lok Sabha, in 1962, with the support of undivided Communist Party of India. Still Pinarayi Vijayan, when asked about the take over of the excess land possessed by KLA during a press conference, wondered which Pillai the land belonged to. He could not recollect Nataraja Pillai ! And, expressed his favour to the KLA family saying that the land confiscated by Sir C.P. can not be taken over by the government; and government does not consider it at all. The land was given to KLA on lease in 1968 by the then Agricultural Minister and senior CPI leader M.N. Govindan Nair during the regime of EMS government. The lease period was 3 years. Later on the lease was extended for 3 more years in 1976, the period of Emergency, when CPI stalwart C. Achutha Menon was the CM and Congress major K. Karunakaran held the home portfolio. Later on Karunakaran assigned the land to KLA in 1985 when he was the CM.
But, there was a condition: The Academy, registered as a charitable society, shall have the state governor as the chief patron and CM of the state shall be the patron. Kerala state ministers, judges of Kerala High Court, prominent lawyers, etc. shall be the board members. In another words, KLA was akin to a government-controlled institution during its inception. But, gradually, all VIP trustees ‘disappeared’ and since the last more than 3 decades it is a family trust run by Narayanan Nair, Ponnamma Narayanan Nair, their son Adv. Nagaraju, Krishnan Nair, Law Secretary Jayakumar (son of Narayanan Nair’s brother), Lakshmi Nair and her husband; practically a family affair. University does not have any document establishing KLA’s affiliation with the Kerala University. Rules does not permit charitable societies to use its property for any other purpose other than the set goal and methods of it. But, here Narayanan Nair and his aforementioned family members have constructed their houses there. There are allegations that Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has not given house numbers to some of them, still they do have electricity and water connections! It is impossible for an ordinary citizen. A building is rented out for a bank. Lakshmi Nair runs a restaurant there. It is reported that hardly three acres are used for college purposes. The remaining land remains idle. That is why V.S. Achuthanandan demanded immediate takeover of that land by the government.
Another plot owned by KLA lies nearby. The above-mentioned conditions are applicable for this land also. But, the reports suggest that Nair and family signed a joint venture with a builder and a multistoried building with residential apartments has been constructed there. It is said that most of the apartments have been sold out. Originally, KLA’s research centre stood there. When the new building came up, no sign of research center. Another violation of the rules. Still CM says, not question of taking over the land, thanks to the warm relation existing between Nair and family and CPM top brass.
When the state government decided to implement direct payment to the private college teachers in 1971, KLA refused to sign the agreement. Only government-paid college teachers are supposed to contest the elections to the Syndicate and Senate. But, Narayanan Nair & Co. could contest and win! Media reports state that Narayanan Nair’s car bears the red number plate which is a taboo for the private individuals. But, Nair still drives the same car in the state capital l It is reported that until few days before, Kerala University website showed KLA as a government college; but, when the new controversies came up, it has been removed.
Now, the newspaper reports suggest, the LLB degree of Lakshmi Nair and her cousin N.K. Jayakumar are not legally valid. Because, she joined the 4th year of the five year LLB course through lateral entry since she was a history graduates. And, it is reported that it was not approved by the Bar Council. And, she did MA distance course along with her LLB. Kerala University does not permit the students to study two courses simultaneously. If at all it happens, the course passed from Kerala University shall be null and avoid. Now, Syndicate enquires about it. There are suspicions about the genuineness of her Phd. also. It is reported that N.K. Jayakumar, nephew of N. Narayanan Nair and currently CM Pinarayi’s legal advisor, had studied law in KLA and MA in another university in the same manner back in 1970. When the complaint came up in1983, he submitted a statement saying that he was not aware of the rule. At last he got approval of the Syndicate which was passed by majority of the voters. The sources in the legal circles say that Narayanan Nair managed the issue on both occasions. Now the question is about the TC (Transfer Certificate) the candidate had to submit when he or she joined both courses of two universities. It is impossible to submit TC before two universities simultaneously.
One mainstream TV Channel claimed that they have documental evidence for the false information KLA submitted before the bar council for affiliation. KLA had to get NOC from the state government, and affiliations of the university and bar council. The allegation is about showing hiked salaries than what they pay to the staff.
Another important allegation against KLA is about the red number plate Dr. Narayanan Nair flaunts in his car, a privilege a private individual can never enjoy. But, no police to take action against him. Channels kept on showing the car during the news hours. But Nair came to see the education minister in the same car during the period of agitation.
In spite of all these black and white history of the fraudulent operations, students have not been approached by any serious and impartial government representatives for an amicable compromise. Now, the students insist on Lakshmi Nair’s unconditional resignation. BJP, Congress, CPI, Muslim League, etc. support this demand. The final meeting of the University Syndicate met on February 6 and they did not take any new decision. In other words, the meeting was pushing the students to the wall; they were pressurized to follow the SFI line. But, the students were not ready to lie down and take this highhandedness of the CPM dominated Syndicate.
The meeting with the education minister Prof. Raveendranath was an utter failure. Non SFI student bodies alleged after the meeting that minister ordered to them to accept the management’s conditions like 5 years’ debar of examinations related duties for Lakshmi Nair and her abdication of the principal’s post. The crucial KA Syndicate meeting held on February 6 did not reap any more result. The CPM dominated Syndicate accepted two contradictory letters, issued on the same date, by the management: One said, principal abdicates the position. The second letter says she has been removed from the duties for 5 years and she would not work even as a faculty for 5 years. The students do not accept any thing short of her resignation. Moreover, these two letters enable her, as her father mentioned to the media few days before, to come back again when management likes and even get a court order to reinstate.
The agitation took a new turn on February 7. The KLA campus and the whole Peroorkkada junction underwent tumultuous atmosphere from 2 PM onwards. ABVP worker Shimith climbed upon a tree with an ABVP flag with him. He threatened to jump down and suicide. It is reported that he had kept petrol with him; he would opt self-immolation if police tries to bring him down by force; he had made a noose of rope also for suicide. His demand was the immediate resignation of Lakshmi Nair. When police and fire force came students crowded around the tree and did not permit the forces to go near the tree to save him. Students demanded an assurance from the government officials regarding three demands they put forward: (1) Immediate arrest of Lakshmi Nair for Dalit atrocities (2) Impound Lakshmi Nair’s passport to prevent her from going abroad to evade legal actions (3) Cabinet should discuss the issue when it meets on February 8.
When the Executive Magistrate M.K. Rehman’s efforts to persuade Shimith to climb down failed, Sub Collector Dr. Divya S. Iyer came and spoke to him using the microphone. But, he stuck to his gun. Divya Iyer promised to do whatever she can to convey the students’ demand to her higher ups. District Collector informed the students by 6 PM that Nair’s passport will be impounded immediately; other two demands would be communicated to the government. The authorities assured that there would not be any legal action against Shimith for the suicide bid. When the tension mounted as Shimith refused to climb down, hundreds of workers of non-CPM parties congregated there. As soon as Shimith climbed down two Youth Congress workers tried to self-immolate pouring petrol on their body. The police used water cannon. People ran helter-skelter. In the melee Abdul Jabbar, belonging to Manakkat, Thiruvananthapuram, fainted and died.
Later on Organiser gathered Shimmith’s history: He belongs to a remote village of Thiruvananthapuram. His parents struggle to make both ends meet by selling tender coconuts in front of the Attingal Municipality. Last year he met with an accident and underwent surgery. He could not attend the classes for several days together. His mother brought the medical certificate but Lakshmi Nair allegedly shouted at her saying that “Any one in the street can get a medical certificate for Rs 100.” She refused to see his parents. And, Nair awarded him ‘year out.’
Earlier in the morning itself students marched to the restaurant run by Lakshmi Nair in the college campus violating the rules. They forcefully closed it. Then they went to the bank operating in the college campus, again violating the rules. They demanded the immediate closure of the branch. Police prevented the students from downing the shutters.
ABVP has called for a 48 hours education bandh in the state on February 8. Other non-SFI student bodies have called for education bandh on February 9th and 10th.
There were complaints against KLA since long. Political parties were enjoying quota in its admission hence no political party liked to antagonise either Lakshmi Nair or Narayanan Nair, thanks to the political clout Lakshmi Nair and Dr. N. Narayanan Nair, her father and director of KLA, have been enjoying whether Congress-led UDF or CPM-led LDF at the helm. Several ministers in the present government, former governments of both UDF and LDF, sitting and former MPs and MLAs and several leaders and children of the leaders of various parties took law graduation from there. There are allegations that the internal marks and attendance were not problem for this ‘elite’ students. So, several young leaders of both political combinations keep mum even though KLA is the hottest news item in media in the whole state. All of them were shouting from the roof tops against Modi, BJP and RSS in the name of Dadri, Vemula, JNU, beef, Pune Film Institute, Dalit atrocities somewhere in North India, etc.
Even though the law circles consider Narayanan Nair as a shrewd operator who take advantage from every situation, old students remember that the atmosphere and discipline in the college used to be satisfactory during his regime. When her celebrity daughter took over the situations changed. Students who dare to face channel cameras assert that their principal is a persona non grata for them. They have several reasons to establish it. They do not find any reason to like her style of functioning. When this story goes to press, the agitation has completed nearly 30 days, college remains closed.
Now, million-dollar question is the reason for the soft corner Pinarayi Vijayan maintains for KLA, Lakshmi and her father. Media reports state that most of the young CPM leaders studied LLB in KLA and they have enjoyed the attendance and internal marks, the discretion of the madam principal. Now, the media advisor of the CM is the MD of party channel. Lakshmi Nair has been the part and parcel of the channel since the last more than one and half decades. Famous media observer and CPI member Adv. Jayashankar says, Lakshmi Nair influences the CM through channel MD. And, Narayanan Nair and his brother and CPM leader Krishnan Nair have got excellent rapport with the CPM top leadership including the CM. Moreover once the details of the marks and attendance of the fiancée of Lakshmi Nair’s son are unearthed lot of such details of ‘several others’ are likely to come out. Media reports celebrated the LLB education of the CPM party channel MD in KLA, again pertaining to attendance and internal marks. He immediately denied the allegation.
Students of KLA were scared to raise their complaints against her until now. But, when two shocking incidents took place in two other self financing institutions, a powerful emotional outburst surfaced in the students community of Kerala. In Toms Engineering College, Kottayam, a fully residential campus, complaints were against torture the students undergo at the hands of the management. Students can not go home even during week-ends, those who complain are threatened in the name of internal marks, no warden in girls’ hostel, but, the chairman of the college visits there after 6 PM denying the girls’ privacy. Now, the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala has ordered to close the college. The students will be admitted in other colleges. The second was Nehru College, Thrissur where a student Jishnu Pranoy committed suicide. The reports suggest, that invigilator had accused him of cheating in the examination. Later on it was found that the accusation was not right. Moreover, the students and Jishnu’s parents allege that there was flaws in autopsy. Students allege that there was a torture chamber in the college for torturing the students who raise their grievances. Now, his parents are going to stage dharna against Pinarayi Vijayan government’s slow pedaling in taking strict action against those who are responsible for the Jishnu’s death. Recently Rohith Vemula’s mother and brother addressed DYFI national conference in Kochi. But, Jishnu’s relatives allege that CM Pinarayi did not bother to visit his weeping mother, a former SFI worker, when he visited the place recently. CM shot back that the government has done all possible for the bereaved family !
In the meantime ABVP National Executive member K.V. Varundas staged a hunger strike in front of the house of Krishnadas, the chairman of the Nehru Group demanding immediate arrest of the culprits behind the death of Jishnu Pranoy.
After three hours of sloganeering and siege, VC of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University issued stop memo to the Tom’s Engineering College. Students will be admitted in other colleges. ABVP state secretary Shyam Raj led the protests.
Anarchy in the education field does not end here. It is an ongoing affair. Athira, a Dait girl suffered year out in the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram. She scored rank 43 in the entrance examinations; but it is alleged that from the very first day, other students and teachers teased her. She believes that her marks were cut down purposely to clamp year out on her and push her to any other college.
The people of Kerala believes lock, stock and barrel that Pinarayi regime is a total failure. Worst sort of law and order situation, CPM atrocities against political opponents, especially Sangh parivar workers, Dalit atrocities, sky rocketing prices of essential goods, nepotism, party controlled police force, etc. are the reasons they point out. Even though CPM keeps on telling that they are the protectors of the minorities they are selective in practice.
Here is a glaring example. Aisha Sherin, Bharatiya Mahila Morcha general secretary of Mudavanmugal, Thiruvananthapuram threatened to commit suicide on February 6. She informed BJP leaders that her neighbor and his sons harass her and tried to outrage her modesty in the road. One of them is a DYFI leader. BJP leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan and others visited her and prevented her from drastic action. Police officials informed that three cases under IPC 354 had been charged against neighour Thampi and his sons who had attacked her in the past and tried to outrage her modesty. They were locked up for several days. Recently one of his sons was arrested, but he got bail due to heart ailment. Sherin joined BJP after leaving CPM before the assembly polls last year. When BJP general secretary P. Muraleedhar Rao met the state governor in early February, her plight was raised. Rao and state BJP leaders met the governor to appraise him of the CPM atrocities against Sangh parivar workers in the state. Organiser understands that they had conveyed the list of the Sangh parivar workers killed by CPM goons since the Pinarayi regime took over.
Here is the list:-
Name Date of murder Place
Pramod (38) May 19, 2016 Kodungallur, Thrissur
Ramachandran (52) July 11, 2016 Annur, Kannur
Vineesh (28) Sept 3, 2016 Thillankerry, Kannur
Vishnu (19) Oct 7, 2016 Kannanmolla,
Thiruvananthapuram
Remith (27) Oct 12, 2016 Pinarayi, Kannur
K.D. Anilkumar (44) Dec 18, 2016 Neyyattinkara,
Thiruvananthapuram
Radhakrishnan (46) Jan 7, 2017 Kanjikkod, Palakkad
Vimaladevi (34) Jan 16, 2017 Kanjikkod, Palakkad
Santosh (52) Jan 19, 2017 Thalasserry, Kannur
But, now, CPM and Pinarayi should realize that power alone will not help them; if they evade pro-people stand for the sake of people like Lakshmi Nair, their ultimate place will be the dustbin of the history. If they do not realize this, Kerala will be their next Bengal.
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