Kerala University VC meets Governor, appraises issues

Thrissur (Kerala) | Kerala University Vice Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal on Monday met Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who is also the Chancellor of the varsity, and appraised the ongoing unrest and administrative issues.

The meeting was held at the government guest house in this central Kerala district.

The meeting assumed significance as the Vice Chancellor recently suspended the Registrar of the university after he issued a notice cancelling a private programme attended by Governor Arlekar at the Senate Hall, where a portrait of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag was displayed.

The Kerala University campus witnessed dramatic scenes last week after Registrar K S Anil Kumar, whose suspension was revoked by the Syndicate, arrived to resume his duties.

"I came here to directly inform the Governor about the ongoing violence and the other major issues at Kerala University. A group of so-called students unleash violence at the university for no reason," Kunnummal told reporters.

He said he was not going to the university campus nowadays as there is a threat of physical assault against him.

"Will you go to a place if anybody threatens to chop off your legs?" he asked the reporters.

He said he does not want to create a law and order issue by going to the campus.

The VC further reiterated that the Syndicate's announcement of the revoking of the suspension of the Registrar is invalid.

Elaborating on the powers of the Vice Chancellor, Kunnummal said the Syndicate is a panel to advise the VC.

"Whenever there is no Syndicate, VC is the Syndicate. Whenever there is no Senate, VC is the Senate. Whenever there is no academic council, VC is the academic council," he said, quoting university norms.

While referring to the revoking of the suspension of the Registrar by the Syndicate, he said the Syndicate has to be chaired by the VC, and a decision taken under the chairmanship of anybody else has no legal validity.

His statement came amidst SFI activists, who recently stormed the university, raised slogans against the VC and the governor, and continued their protests inside the campus.

Some of the protesters even shouted that the Vice Chancellor would not be allowed on the campus.

Kerala University has seen dramatic scenes and unprecedented protests by Left students and youth outfits since the beginning of the month, following the suspension of the Registrar by Vice Chancellor Kunnummal.

The ruling CPI(M)'s student wing, Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists on Monday, organised a "protest trial" at the Kerala University campus against the VC, alleging administrative stalemate and suffering of students due to his actions.