NIT-Calicut student who was assaulted for protesting Ram Temple event suspended for a year

Kozhikode: National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut has suspended a student who raised a placard in protest of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. Vysakh Premkumar, a fourth-year BTech student has been suspended for a year for an “unlawful gathering” that resulted in “campus unrest”.

The order issued by the Dean (Students' Welfare) says Vysakh is "solely accountable for inciting unrest" and for "lowering the esteem of the institute both inside and outside the campus". Vysakh has also been prohibited from entering the "institute campus, including hostel premises" without permission. The order also claims that Vysakh is a repeat offender, who was verbally warned for engaging in 'undesirable activities contrary to the student code of conduct'.

Onmanorama reported about the unrest that broke out on the NIT campus, in which Vysakh was allegedly assaulted by a group that calls itself 'Science and Spirituality Club' after he raised objection to them painting a saffron map of India comprising a bow and arrow, often attributed to Lord Ram.

Before Vysakh staged his protest, a BTech student, Kailas, had questioned the members of the club and he was allegedly assaulted. Vysakh confronted them holding a placard that read 'India is not a Rama Rajya'. The members of the club responded with slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' and tore Vysakhs's placard. According to reports, Vysakh returned with a similar placard two more times and on the third occasion, the members of the club assaulted him.

A group of students rallied behind Vysakh and got engaged in a verbal brawl with the members of the club. The students who supported Vysakh also raised placards that read 'India is not a Rama Rajya'. They alleged that the police that was called in to diffuse the situation were hostile toward them, but not against the members of the club.

Later, the Registrar issued a notice postponing the annual techno-management fest Tathva and the cultural festival Ragam. The notice said that there were incidents of student unrest/altercations based on community and faith on the campus.

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