Students on novel protest against lack of hostel facility

A day after the Central University of Kerala (CUK) indefinitely suspended classes following a student unrest demanding adequate hostel facilities, the university’s main campus at Periye on Thursday saw the protesters “attending” classes taken by their seniors.

After the university authorities locked the classrooms and library halls, where the students, including girls, stayed back for the past two nights, nearly 500 students, braving overcast skies, decided to stay back on the campus occupying the open spaces and multi-purpose halls.

A senior activist of the recently floated Students Refugee Movement (SRM) blamed the authorities for the impasse. “A long-term strategy could have averted the impasse culminating in the indefinite suspension of classes,” an SRM spokesperson, pleading anonymity, told The Hindu.

The inadequate hostel facilities have discouraged many students from the economically weaker sections from pursuing higher studies as they could not afford the hefty sums charged by private accommodation facilities at far off places. The university should have ensured decent accommodation before admitting more students, he said.

Vice Chancellor G. Gopakumar maintained that the CUK was not a residential institution and that 47% of the students were staying at the three hostels on the Periye campus. Dr. Gopakumar had said that the CUK, which is in expansion mode, could provide additional hostel facilities in another 18 months.

Meanwhile, the students are planning to attend curriculum-based classes involving senior students in the coming days.

Dr. Gopakumar is reported to have left for New Delhi for talks with Human Resource Development Ministry officials to end the stalemate.