Kalady University Syndicate offers to reinstate 12 suspended students if they apologise; SFI refuses

KOCHI: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has rejected a proposal by the Kalady University Syndicate to reinstate 12 of the 16 suspended students on the condition that they submit an apology. SFI state secretary P.S. Sanjeev said the organisation would not agree to apologise merely to secure their reinstatement. He said apologising would amount to surrender and announced that the students would soon launch a hunger strike.

The university Syndicate had proposed reinstating 12 of the 16 suspended students. However, disciplinary action against the remaining four, including the SFI unit secretary and president, would not be withdrawn. The Syndicate also decided that permission for the students to appear for examinations would be subject to the court's decision. The 12 students would be reinstated only if they submitted apologies.

Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas had filed an appeal before the Kerala High Court against an order permitting the suspended students to appear for examinations. The Vice-Chancellor maintains that the students who participated in the protest do not have the required attendance and that those who fall short of the attendance requirement cannot be allowed to sit for the examinations. The 16 students have remained suspended for the past 64 days for participating in the protest.