Student suicide: Tensions escalate at Kothamangalam MA Engg College as conciliation efforts fail

Kochi: Student protests are intensifying at Kothamangalam Mar Aathanasius Engineering (MA) College following the death by suicide of an Arunachal Pradesh student at his accommodation here. Student organisations, including the SFI and KSU, are leading massive demonstrations on campus. Gathered outside the Principal's office, the students maintain a firm stance, refusing to back down until all their demands are met.

Students have placed 10 demands before the management. Their primary demand is stepping down of the Principal, Dean and Head of Department (HOD), who are alleged to be responsible for the student's death, pending the completion of an inquiry.

In addition, they are demanding fair compensation for the deceased student's family, a reduction in the high fee for Supplementary (Save a Year) examinations, and the rescheduling of exams.

As protests grew, management representatives stepped in and agreed to a few terms. The Supplementary exam fee will be reduced from ₹6,000 to ₹1,000, and exams scheduled for this week are postponed until after Onam.

Management also promised to hold council and PTA meetings to improve communication. However, they refused to the stepping down of the accused faculty, stating action will only be taken if police investigations find them guilty.

Unsatisfied with these partial assurances, students continued their protest, breaching the college gate to enter the academic block after alleging the Principal refused to speak to them directly.

Conciliation efforts mediated by police and student leaders are currently underway. A delegation of 20 student representatives and leaders from SFI and KSU is scheduled to meet the Principal, who assured he would address them directly within 15 minutes, temporarily easing tensions. However, students reiterate that there will be no compromise on their demand for the accused officials to step aside.

The deceased student has been identified as Michi Marpu, a 20-year-old third-year Civil Engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh. He was found dead on Saturday around 3 pm at his paying guest accommodation near the college. A three-page suicide note written in Hindi and English was recovered from his room.

Mar Athanasius College operates autonomously and sets its own credit score criteria. Students allege that while the minimum required credit score in other engineering colleges is 18, Mar Athanasius College fixed it at 22, and the failure to achieve this score pushed the student to suicide, a point reportedly mentioned in his suicide note.

Around 20 students face the threat of being held back due to this rule, with some having already claimed Transfer Certificates (TC) out of fear. Students claim management refused to compromise despite multiple discussions and alleged that no action was taken even after the Higher Education Minister intervened.

(Note: Suicide is never a solution. Seek help from a mental health professional and try to get through this difficult period. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in emotional distress, contact the DISHA helpline. Toll-free: 1056; Phone: 0471-2552056)