PIL before Kerala High Court seeks ban on student politics in colleges

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking directions to prohibit campus politics across colleges and educational institutions in Kerala [N Prakash v State of Kerala & Ors.]..The petitioner, a retired High Court employee who earlier served as a private secretary to a judge, has urged the Court to issue a directive that student organizations do not have any right to carry out political activities within college premises..A division bench consisting of Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and Shoba Annamma Eapen issued notice in the matter on Monday and adjourned the case till February 20..The PIL was filed in the wake of clashes that took place earlier this month between the Student Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) at Maharajas College, Ernakulam.During this clash, a student affiliated with the SFI was reportedly stabbed after which the college was closed and several students were suspended pending disciplinary action..The petitioner, N Prakash, raised concerns that similar incidents have repeatedly occurred in Maharajas College. This points to the need to ban "all sorts of student politics in all colleges throughout the State," his plea stated. Prakash added that if effective and prompt steps are not taken in this direction, there is every chance that similar incidents would re-occur in colleges. He also pointed out that the High Court had earlier directed the government to frame regulations to control student politics in the 2003 case of Kerala Students Union v Sojan Francis, although this directive was not implemented.Even Universities have failed to implement such regulations on the maintenance of discipline on college campuses, he submitted.The petitioner further lamented that if student politics had been prohibited or regulated earlier, no such untoward incident would have occurred.The petitioner also recounted that when he was a student at the Government Law College in Ernakulam, he witnessed frequent strikes by student organisations. This issue was also raised in a PIL filed by him in 2012, the petitioner added. "Demonstrating political student unions will have to take into consideration the plight of other students, who are studying in the same college .. The students and parents are helpless due to the atrocities committed by the student wing of the political parties ... It is high time that student politics vanishe(s) from the campus of colleges," the plea stated further. .Therefore, the petitioner has now urged the High Court to issue directions to curb student politics on college campuses in Kerala..The matter will be heard next on February 20..The petitioner appeared in-person.