Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The protest by student organisations against the education policy of the UDF Government in Kerala, which allegedly led to the suicide of an engineering student, turned violent today with the protesters setting ablaze government vehicles, attacking the offices of two nationalised banks and forcing the police to fire teargas shells.
The pro-Left student organisations have called an education bandh on Monday. The trouble began around 11 am when SFI students tried to force their way into the Secretariat compound by breaking the police barricade. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them, but the students regrouped at different spots and vent their anger on the vehicles parked on the roadside.
An Indica of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, in which Kozhikode Mayor Thottathil Raveendran and his friend were travelling, was set ablaze at Thycaud. Both of them escaped unhurt. A Maruti van of the Health Department was also set ablaze.
Tension prevailed at the entrance counselling centre on LMS Compound when KSU activists barged in and destroyed enquiry counters set up by banks offering educational loans to students. However, there was no disruption of counselling as KSU activists were arrested by the police.
Many students, policemen and mediapersons were injured as the protestors clashed with police at many places.
The regional office of Indian Overseas Bank and the circle office of the Canara Bank in the city were also attacked by the students.
Advised her to contact other banks: IOB
Thiruvananthapuram: Defending the denial of loan to Rajani Anand who committed suicide, the Indian Overseas Bank said on Friday that it had advised Rajani to contact any of the four other bank branches near her residence.
