It is with deep sense of alarm that we have learnt about the oppressive measures being introduced in Central University of Kerala by the current administration against voices of dissent, disagreements and genuine student demands. We have come across reports of administrative high handedness against students and teachers in the university. There have been attempts to silence genuine demands of students and the administration used police force to suppress and traumatise students who could muster the courage to protest. There are allegations that the administration is also taking special interest in sidelining and oppressing students coming from marginalised sections in the society.
In a recent development the university administration decided to use police force to arrest and jail a student named Ganthoti Nagaraju, belonging to underprivileged community, for an unintentional and minor incident which should have been dealt with within the university system itself. Another student named Akhil Thazhath has been dismissed from the university on the charges of taking his protest of the administration to social media. The administration extended its harassment mission to teachers as well. Dr. Prasad Pannian, Head, Department of English and Comparative Literature, has been suspended from his post for publicly voicing his concerns over the administration’s use of police force against students. We see this as an alarming and dangerous trend.
An institution of higher learning should nurture scholarship and the core values of democracy and social justice. Without engaging with dissent and debates, we believe, no institution can grow to fulfil its social and democratic mission. As members of alumni, we have great pride in our alma mater and these recent developments stand antithetical to our vision of greatness for our alma mater. We unanimously condemn any act of oppression against the academic community by the administration. We demand that all orders of suspension and dismissal against students and teachers be revoked with immediate effect. We demand that democratic spaces within the university are nurtured and strengthened to make it function like an institute of higher learning.
We stand in solidarity with the students and teachers of Central University of Kerala and elsewhere in the country who are fighting for their genuine democratic rights.
This statement is endorsed by the following alumni members of Central University of Kerala
Abdullah Abdul Hameed (Assistant Professor, University of Delhi)
Nimmi I (Doctoral Research Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
Thasleem (Research Scholar, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)
Ayshath Shamah Rahmath (Research scholar, National University of Malaysia)
Shankar Lal Choudhary (Research Scholar, Central University of Rajasthan)
Ansiya Rahiman (Research Scholar, Tata institute of Social Sciences)
Rajkumar R (Research Scholar, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram)
Lekshmi S R (Research Scholar, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram)
Shihabudeen P (Research Associate, IISc Bangalore)
Mohammed Rashid (Programme Manager, ASAP Kerala)
Ashhar Jabbar (Project Coordinator, Dept. of Fisheries, Kerala)
Safeeda V (Asst. Programmer, Kannur University)
Saad Mohammed (Independent Researcher)
Febina V Rahoof (MPhil Scholar, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences)
Ahammed Shafeeque (Project Coordinator, Dept of Fisheries, Kerala)
Divya A (Psychiatric Social Worker (MPhil), Mental Health Action Trust, Kozhikode)
Yadu C R (Independent Researcher, Trivandrum)
Rijesh A. K. (Team Leader, Jalanidhi Project, Kerala)
Akheel (Finance Assistant, UAE)
Ambili K N (Guest Teacher, Avala kuttoth Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode)
Punyachithra P N (Guest Lecturer, College of Applied Science, Thamarasseri)
Barnabas Sebastian (Research Scholar, University of Kerala, Trivandrum)
Dr Neethu Mohan (Assistant Research Officer, Somaarth DDESS, INCLEN Trust International, Palwal, Haryana)
Afsheer A (Project Coordinator, Green Worms Calicut)
Muhammad Asharaf (Project Coordinator, Kerala Social Security Mission)
Rijo Roy (Welfare Officer, Harrisons Malayalam Ltd., Wayanad)
Aparna N S (Research Scholar, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Kerala)
Eldhose A Y (Independent Researcher)
Aswanth K R (LD Clerk at KHWWB)
Aparna R (Research Scholar, IIT Bombay)
Ratheesh Ambalathara (Independent Researcher)
Sreehul EM (Research Scholar, Kannur University)
Anagha E (Research Scholar, Central University of Gujarat)
Sruthi Sasidharan (Independent Researcher)
Shibin AP (Project Coordinator, Kaval, Calicut)
Shahal KK (HSST Communicative English, GHSS Areekode, Malappuram)
Yasir Siddeequee (Independent Researcher)
Naseeb Ali AK (EFL University)
Labeeba (Independent Researcher)
Shilpa U.M (Independent Researcher)
Mekha M S (Independent Researcher)
Meenu K Baby (Independent Researcher)
Nirupama Suneetha (Independent Researcher)
Sreelakshmi J S (Independent Researcher)
Bhanupriya P (Independent Researcher)
Athira R (Independent Researcher)
Akhilraj P P (Block Coordinator, Kudumbasree Mission Kasaragod)
Aleena Abraham (Independent Researcher)
Sujitha M (Independent Researcher)
Ashamol T (Department of Agriculture, Kerala)
Manju P (Independent Researcher)
Ajaikrishnan G (SDE, ASAP Kottayam)
Rebitha Kannan (Committed Social Worker, Tribal Development Office, Kasaragod)
Amala S Fanny (MPhil Scholar, Central University of Gujarat)
Ayshathul Sumaya P (Guest Teacher in English, GHSS Uppala, Kasaragod)
Priyanka V S (MPhil Scholar, MG University of Kerala)
Gopika S (Independent Researcher)
Aswathy BT (Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, PCASC, Munnad, Kasaragod)
Sruthi A T V (Lecturer, Gurudev Arts & Science College)
Sreeshna Krishna K C (Independent Researcher)
Kiran V (Independent Researcher)
Ibrahim Khaleel CA (PGT, Sa-adiya Senior Secondary School Kasaragod)
Anu N Govind (Independent Researcher)
Aparna N. T. (Family Counsellor, Nileshwar FCC)
Anjitha Tom (Independent Researcher)
Sabina A K (Independent Researcher)
Jaya Thampi (Independent Researcher)
Mithya A (Independent Researcher)
Jobin Abraham (Project Manager, Pantech Migrant Suraksha Project, Kanhangad)
Nihara R (Independent Researcher)
Sanal M (Independent Researcher)
Salavuddin B (Probation Assistant, Social Justice Department, Kasaragod)
Sayana Das (Independent Researcher)
Meera Paul (Independent Researcher)
Athifa Mariyam A (Research Scholar)
Ummer Farooq (Independent Researcher)
Babur Hussain (Research Scholar, ISEC, Bengaluru)
Arun Kumar Bairwa (PhD Scholar, IIT Indore)
Safwana A (Independent Researcher)
Anjali Vijayan (Independent Researcher)
Akhila VM (Block Coordinator, Kudumbashree District Mission Kasaragod)
Nafeesath Najaba (Independent Researcher)
Aparna Prasad (PhD Research Scholar, M G University)
Arun Karippal (Senate Member, University of Calicut)
Ganga C V (Independent Researcher)
Thanooja Nizam (MPhil Scholar, St. Teresas College)
Fouziya Shani (Independent Researcher)
Binumol T (MPhil Scholar, MG University)
Amjada M Sayed (MPhil Scholar, MG University)