The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), in a recent turn of events that has raised eyebrows in Kerala, has strongly condemned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for holding a weapons training camp on the campus of Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram. The SFI, the youth organization of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), put out a strongly worded statement denouncing the event, saying that such activities in educational institutions promote societal division and the risk of triggering violence and unrest.
The SFI’s Thiruvananthapuram unit stressed that giving permission for weapons training in educational institutions is a dangerous precedent. They said, “We strongly react against such tendencies that irrationally drive students and followers to extremism through various privileges. Rigorous action should be taken against activities like weapons training in schools so that the values that are symbolized by the law and the Constitution may be maintained. Everyone in society has to raise questions about such communal activities and stand strongly for peace and unity.”
The Kerala Students Union, which is also affiliated with the Indian National Congress, added their criticisms as well. In a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post, the Mar Ivanios Unit of the KSU commented, “Pranaams to the college management that opened the ground that they are not willing to open for even the students for RSS training camp.” The KSU also questioned the timing of the camp, pointing out the release of Mahendra Hembram from jail at about the same time. They asked the management of the college to recall his name in these circumstances.
Mahendra Hembram is one of the accused in the 1999 murders of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, Timothy and Philip, who were burnt alive while they slept in a van in Manoharpur, Odisha. Hembram was among the team led by Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh, the prime accused in the case. Dara Singh was allegedly connected with the Bajrang Dal, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group aligned with the RSS.
Reports indicate that the college campus has been reserved for RSS training programs between April 18 and May 2. The management of the college has not made any public announcement on the sanctioning of the camp as yet. This has only added to the controversy, with student bodies calling for transparency and accountability.
Students’ Federation of India (SFI): What Are the Implications of Hosting Weapons Training in Educational Institutions?
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and other students have claimed that the organization of weapons training camps inside schools compromises the sanctity of academic institutions. They argue that this may have the potential to radicalize students and interfere with the peaceful atmosphere conducive to education. The SFI has urged stern measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and that institutions’ secular and educational character is protected.
The event has resulted in a wider controversy surrounding the place of education institutions in society and to what degree political or ideological groups should be permitted to function inside them. The KSU and SFI have called upon the public and authorities to be careful and resistant to activities that might undermine the educational and secular nature of the country.
As the row rages on, stakeholders are waiting for a reaction from the college administration and higher authorities to respond to the issues raised by student bodies and to ensure that educational institutions continue to be places of learning and harmony.
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