Alappuzha: Milad-E-Sherief Memorial (MSM) College, Kayamkulam, where a major political controversy broke out earlier this year over the admission of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Nikhil Thomas on the basis of a forged degree certificate, is staring at another row with the CPM-backed students’ outfit challenging the management’s decision to expel three students. The SFI wants the college to follow the University of Kerala’s instruction to the college to revoke the disciplinary action against the three students. The staff council of the college has refused to do so and written to the varsity to review its decision.

The staff council’s decision, according to sources, is that the three students do not deserve to be taken back as the gravity of the offences they committed is grave.The three students – Allen Benny John, Muhammad Sayed and Hubaid Hussain – were expelled from the college based on the findings of an internal inquiry committee which probed the complaints against them over alleged actions that compromised the safety of the people on the campus.

Allen was found guilty of engaging in unauthorised collection of money from students and vandalising the door of the Malayalam department. The expulsion of Muhammad Sayed was recommended on the findings that he misbehaved with a non-teaching staff and rode his bike on the verandah of the college putting other students’ lives at risk. Hubaid Hussain was also found guilty of the same charges. He was also facing charges for bringing a rottweiler dog, which could be ferocious and a threat to the life of those around, to the campus. Videos of the bike stunts and the rottweiler parade on the campus were circulated on social media. 

The college has taken extreme steps against the three students as they were habitual offenders. The action was taken in August. The students approached the Board for Adjudication of Students' Grievances (BASG) under the university against the decision and the board on September 18 recommended permitting Allen to complete his course at the college and allow Muhammad Sayed and Hubaid Hussain to attend the second-semester examination at the college. The University Syndicate, in turn, approved the BASG recommendations.

The university registrar conveyed the syndicate’s decision to the college in a letter dated October 12 and requested the principal to take necessary action. The issue would have ended there if the college had followed the university's instruction. However, the staff council – an apex advisory board deciding the matters relating to a college – decided not to follow the syndicate’s instruction and instead asked the university to reconsider its decision.

The move was rather surprising provided the unstated fact that syndicate decisions often reflect the interests of the ruling parties. It is learnt from sources that the staff council took the decision against the syndicate standing with the sentiments of a large section of teachers cutting across party affiliations who were against taking back the students who they perceived as a threat to the peaceful atmosphere of the campus.

A faculty member, well aware of the developments, said the staff council took the decision based on a legal opinion it received. The university is yet to reply to the college.

SFI steps in
The SFI entered the scene as uncertainty loomed over the fate of the students with the college management standing firm on its decision to expel them. At least two of the expelled students are SFI supporters, said sources.

“The SFI staged the protest as part of our common stand that no student should be expelled from an institution. It was said that the college would take the students back if there was a favourable decision from the university. However, the instruction was not followed. The students may have made mistakes. Now they should be given a chance to correct themselves instead of forcing them out,” Sivaprasad, SFI Alappuzha district secretary, told Onmanorama. He said the college’s refusal to obey the varsity’s instruction even after a month and the decision to challenge it were not proper. 

The SFI called off its strike on Friday based on the management’s promise to discuss the matter again at a staff council meeting on Monday. 

Shadow over syndicate move?
The varsity syndicate’s decision to request the college to revoke a disciplinary action it has taken following due procedures has raised eyebrows among the teaching community. The teachers Onmanorama spoke to flagged the discrepancies in the manner in which the syndicate acted upon the MSM College case and a similar incident in Christian College, Chengannur, another institution in Alappuzha district. 

The Chengannur college has also dismissed a group of students for manhandling another student, causing him serious injuries which required hospital admission for two months. Though the syndicate took up the matters on the same day, it only asked the Chengannur college to allow the expelled students to study in another institution, sources said. 

“Usually a college management denies a student the opportunity to continue studies at the institution only when it finds that he or she has violated discipline to such an extent. It is not right for the syndicate to take a decision against it. It will disrupt the smooth functioning of the college,” Arunkumar R, president of the Congress-backed Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association, told Onmanorama. He is also a former syndicate member. 

However, syndicate member Muralidharan Pillai G said the decisions were only on the basis of the  Board for Adjudication of Students' Grievances which the students approached using their rights.