Protests erupt over eviction of MCOSA from Maharaja's college, writer NS Madhavan flays principal

Kochi: Widespread protests have erupted over the incident where the Principal of Maharaja's College evicted the office of its alumni association named Maharaja’s College Old Students Association  (MCOSA). Criticising the move, renowned writer and alumnus N.S. Madhavan said that what happened in Maharaja’s College is ‘bulldozer justice’  and the principal who had destroyed the historical records should be transferred to a state like Uttar Pradesh. He expressed his protest through the social media platform X.

“The Principal who broke into and demolished the legally sanctioned office of the Old Students  Association without any prior notice, destroying valuable historical records, should be transferred to a state like Uttar Pradesh,” N.S. Madhavan posted on X.

The college authorities demolished the MCOSA office and broke into the premises on October 7. The office, which had been functioning in a room of the Mathematics Department building for decades, is being converted into a classroom. Since the key to the room was with the association’s office-bearers, the college authorities broke the lock and used the space to commence B.Sc. Mathematics classes.

The association's furniture, computers, books and office files were removed. Pictures of past office-bearers and significant historical events were also taken away. The alumni association was granted a dedicated room on the campus in 1989.

Meanwhile, the eviction of the alumni association's office has sparked widespread protests. Justice K. Sukumaran, Dr. M. Leelavathi, and former Principals Prof. K. Aravindakshan and Prof. Shirley Chandran criticised the action taken by the authorities.

Prominent former students, including former Minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, Ambassador Venu Rajamani, Justice K. Sukumaran, P.S. Gopinath, and former Home Secretary K.K. Vijayakumar, attempted to mediate, but the authorities remained unresponsive. The alumni association (MCOSA) has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister regarding the incident. MCOSA General Secretary CICC Jayachandran said they are considering legal action.

With the introduction of four-year undergraduate programs, the college required additional classrooms. The college council decided to use unused rooms for this purpose. It was based on this decision that the MCOSA office was converted into a classroom, said Principal-in-Charge Shajila Beevi in an earlier statement.

Amid growing protests, the Principal-in-Charge announced that the college will issue an official press release regarding the matter.

Authorities should reflect on history: Dr. M. Leelavathi

Former professor Dr. M. Leelavathi criticised the actions of the college authorities, calling them an abuse of power and a disregard for the history and heritage of the institution. “Maharaja’s College is not merely a building or a collection of classrooms. It is the spirit of the teachers who taught there and the students who studied there. The authorities must reflect on this history,” she said.

Dr. Leelavathi further said that the authorities have acted unjustly towards an organisation that worked tirelessly to connect alumni around the world with the college. She emphasised the importance of voicing strong protests against this injustice.

Principal’s actions amount to a criminal offense: Justice K. Sukumaran

Justice K. Sukumaran said that the demolition of the alumni association office, which has been functioning for 35 years, and the destruction of rare photographs is a criminal offense. He urged the Principal to address the matter without dragging it into litigation and to uphold the legacy of Maharaja’s former Principals. Justice Sukumaran, a long-serving President of MCOSA, recalled that it was during his tenure, three and a half decades ago, that the then-Principal, Prof. Bharathi, allocated the office space to the association.

Actions are inappropriate: Prof. Shirley Chandran, Prof. K. Aravindakshan

Former Principals Prof. Shirley Chandran and Prof. K. Aravindakshan described the actions of the college authorities as inappropriate. They opined that the authorities’ approach disregards the efforts made by alumni for the progress and welfare of the college. They added that this move undermines the heritage and history of Maharaja’s College.