Land for ITI caught in UDF, LDF tussle for Muslim votes

A Row over land to set up an ITI on Calicut University premises continues, with Muslim student organisations planning to intensify their agitation against the university authorities. Students’ bodies like the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the students’ wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, and the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) are protesting against the varsity’s reluctance to hand over land on the campus for the institute.

The initiative to set up the ITI is part of a Central Government decision to start ITIs in Muslim-dominated areas following recommendations of the Sachar Committee. The medium of instruction for the proposed ITI is Urdu. The MSF has held a march to the varsity on the issue.

It began with the tehsildar writing a letter to the university to enquire about land availability on the campus for starting the ITI. The university’s stand is that it can decide on giving the land only after conducting a survey as suggested by the university Syndicate. But the Muslim organisations believe the university is just trying to delay the matter.

“The university has allotted land for various purposes without any survey. Why is it reluctant now?” says P K Firoz, the state president of the MSF.