There is a sense of ambiguity over the ongoing stand-off between the students and the administration at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), that erupted after restrictions were imposed on the movement of students on the campus after 11 p.m. and late-night canteens were asked to be closed on March 20.
Though the administration had declared that it would approach the police against the students who, they claimed, manhandled faculty members on March 22, sources at the Kunnamangalam police station said on Monday that they were yet to receive any complaint. The faculty members themselves are reportedly not keen on seeking legal action. A majority of the students have left the campus and gone home after the authorities decided to go for online classes for undergraduate courses till April 5 in the wake of the recent developments. It is learnt that most of them are not inclined to get involved in police cases either.
Meanwhile, a section of students, who requested anonymity, have refuted the allegation that G.K. Rajanikant, Dean, Students Welfare, was manhandled during a discussion with the students on March 22. They also shared videos of the incident on social media to prove their point.
“Not even a single student touched him or hurt him. We only wanted an answer from him. For a long time, he had been running away from his primary duty which is to ensure students’ welfare. In the video, what you can see is just a group of students strongly demanding that he answer their questions and do his duty,” they claimed. The students also said that they would not apologise. They said that they were sticking to their main demands, including reinstating the e-mail IDs of the Students’ Affairs Council, and rolling back decisions such as imposing the night curfew. A section of teachers, however, are apprehensive that the developments would have a bearing on academic activities.
