Kottayam: The students protesting against alleged caste discrimination at K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts (KRNNIVSA) in Kottayam, have claimed that they will not call off the protest unless the government gives written assurance on demands raised by them. The remarks come at a time when education minister Dr R Bindu has slated a meeting with student representatives on Monday.
The student representatives informed that meeting with the minister will be crucial in deciding their stand: whether to call off the protest or not. According to them, the findings in the report submitted by the panel over the issues should be made public. Earlier, a two-member panel appointed by the state government to probe issues raised by the students of the film institute had submitted its report to the Chief Minister. However, the findings of the report are not yet available in the public domain.
The student representatives pointed out that Shankar Mohan's resignation from the institute director’s role has no connection with the report. The government and Mohan are of the stand that there is no caste discrimination in the institute, they said. The protestors also want the institute to embrace the changes to the academic affairs, recommended by them. Particularly, they want written assurance of their demands.
Meanwhile, the meeting with the education minister will be held in her chamber.
The students of KRNNIVSA have accused Shankar Mohan and his wife of caste discrimination. The institute's chairman Adoor Gopalakrishnan is accused of protecting them. The protest has been going on for months. It has received massive support from outside.