Votary of ban on beef manhandled in Kerala
College students attack him after he attended a seminar
A strong votary of a ban on beef was manhandled in Kerala on Thursday, taking the raging protests against the ban in several states across the country to a new level.
Rahul Easwar, a noted TV personality and the grandson of Sabarimala’s chief priest, was attacked by a group of students at MiladE-Sherief Memorial (MSM) College at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district when he was leaving after attending a seminar on cyber security at the college.
The protestors, who wanted Easwar to take back his comments against cow slaughter, also damaged his car. A shocked Easwar termed the attack as part of cultural fascism and vowed to fight it tooth and nail.
Beef became a rallying point for students in Kerala after Sree Kerala Varma College at Trichur suspended six students and initiated a probe against a lecturer in connection with a beef festival organised by students in the college campus to protest against the lynching of a man in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of him eating beef.
Students’ unions, especially those belonging to the Left parties, protested the action by organising beef festivals in several colleges. Many turned violent with the student wing of the BJP trying to prevent them. Ten students of CMS College at Kottayam were suspended on Wednesday following a clash over the beef festival.
Meanwhile, a move for action against Kerala Varma College lecturer Deepa Nishant for questioning the college management’s stand against the beef festival has evoked strong protests from several quarters.
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan accused the college management of implementing the Sangh Parivar’s agenda in Kerala. He has urged secular forces to come out against the attempt to bring a communal agenda to the state.
Congress MP KC Venugopal also condemned the probe ordered against the lecturer. He urged the management to immediately drop proceedings against the teacher. “Deepa has every right to express her independent opinion on issues affecting the lives of people as long as India is a democratic nation,” Venugopal said.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala urged the college management not to crucify the college lecturer for expressing her views on an issue concerning citizens. He said that he had urged the authorities to review the action.
The minister said that the police will not prevent the beef festivals being organised by various organizations in the state as the government strongly believes that every citizen has the right to decide what he should or should not eat.