Communist attack on prestigous National institute of Technology

Tension prevails after NITC attacked

Source:www.newindpress.com

KOZHIKODE: Tension prevailed in the prestigious National Institute of Technology – Calicut campus and nearby areas on Tuesday, following Monday midnight’s attack from outside allegedly by the SFI and DYFI activists.

The attackers also broke the water supply line to the campus in the wee hours of Tuesday affecting 2,000 students staying in the hostel, 50 percent of whom are from outside the state. Classes were not held on Tuesday and is unlikely to be resumed on Wednesday.

Though heavy posse of police personnel led by assistant commissioner (north) C M Pradeepkumar has been deployed in the area, police have not ruled out another attack during night hours.

The campus of one of the top institute in the country witnessed violent scenes when a gang of miscreants numbering 40, came in two lorries at around midnight on Monday. They pelted stones at administrative block and hostels damaging glass windows.

The campus had been witnessing clashes between two student groups, one owing allegiance to the SFI. A local SFI leader from outside had come to the campus on Monday evening to hold a meeting in a room in the E-block of the hostel. Trouble began when the rival group blocked the meeting, leading to intervention by the hostel warden, who ordered the outsiders to vacate the place.

Though police reached the campus to prevent any violent incidents, the gang, suspected to be DYFI and SFI workers, came by around midnight to unleash attack on the campus.

The institute is drawing water from the nearby Kurungattukadavu river, where it has own pump house and a pipeline made of caste iron. This water supply was cut when miscreants broke the pipe at around 4 am on Tuesday. Besides, three hostel rooms were ransacked amidst the violent scenes of Monday midnight.

NITC director Dr G R C Reddy has lodged a complaint with the Kunnamangalam police against the destruction of the pipeline, on which police have registered a case against 15 persons.

Meanwhile, CPM leaders including P Sathidevi MP, K K Lathika MLA and former MP A K Premajam, besides former Education Minister E.T. Muhammed Basheer reached the campus and held discussions with the NITC director.

The CPM leaders’ visit is intended to put pressure on the institute director to solve the issue amicably without any police complaint, it is learnt. The director till now has not allowed the police to collect evidence from him.

The Independence union, the student group which is opposed to pro-left ‘Radicals’, has demanded suspension of seven students from the rival group for inciting an attack from outside. Talks involving party leaders are said to continue on Wednesday.

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