Kasaragod: Police in Kasaragod have registered a criminal case against 25 unidentified students of the Central University of Kerala following campus protests during a two-day seminar on the national song Vande Mataram, officials said on Thursday.

The seminar, marking the song's 150th anniversary, took place on 6 and 7 October at the university's Periya campus in Kasaragod. It was jointly organised by the university, the Sahitya Akademi, and the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, an organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Unlawful assembly and campus disruption

According to the Bekal police station First Information Report, around 25 students belonging to various campus organisations unlawfully assembled at the Library Hall on Wednesday afternoon to interrupt proceedings. Officers deployed for campus security reported that the students shouted slogans and ignored lawful commands to disperse.

Protests escalated on Wednesday after chief guest Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar departed the venue. Demonstrators entered the hall, raised slogans against the RSS, and held up shoes while interrupting a presentation by a faculty member. They subsequently squatted on the floor, continuing their demonstration despite attempts by police to disperse them.

Police registered the case on their own initiative under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections covering unlawful assembly, rioting, and disobedience to an order issued by a public servant. Investigators are currently examining campus CCTV footage to identify the students.

Student objections and administration warnings

The agitation was led by multiple student organisations, including the SFI, NSUI, MSF, AISF, and KSU. Students expressed strong opposition to the participation of keynote speaker J Nandakumar, national convener of the RSS-affiliated organisation Prajna Pravah.

The NSUI alleged that the event was an attempt to "saffronise" the university campus. SFI unit president Nivathi Thara A.L. stated that "constitutional secularism, pluralism and equality must be protected at a university where students from different religious, social and cultural backgrounds study". Protesters further claimed that several registered students were denied entry to the seminar hall.

Ahead of the event, university authorities issued a strict circular warning that attempts to disrupt the national song would face severe action, citing legal provisions carrying penalties of up to three years' imprisonment and monetary fines. Student groups criticized the directive as an intimidation tactic aimed at stifling campus dissent.

Governor alleges wider conspiracy

Addressing the valedictory session, Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar alleged that the campus protests were part of a broader plot. "It is a big conspiracy which has infiltrated our society now. We all have to be very alert," he stated.

The Governor called for social intervention and vigilance against hostile forces operating "from Delhi to the local level". He also urged the institution to undertake authoritative academic research into the history and national influence of Vande Mataram.

A comprehensive study should be undertaken on the history of Vande Mataram, the circumstances that led to its composition and its influence on the national movement, and the findings should be published as a research document, the governor said.

The subject should not be confined to speeches but should be documented as an authoritative study, he said at the event organised as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the national song.

Arlekar said the incidents of student protests on Tuesday were "not isolated" and appeared to have links with other entities and programmes.

"Society should remain vigilant about the forces behind such tendencies, from Delhi to the local level. It was not enough merely to identify them; social intervention was also needed to counter such tendencies," he said.

He said the issue should not be viewed merely as students raising slogans against Vande Mataram.

"It is not restricted to some students raising slogans against Vande Mataram. We have to find out who is behind this. Not only just find out, but we have to act," the Governor said.

He questioned the source of such thoughts and alleged that attempts were being made to "penetrate" them into society.

"The problem is from where these thoughts are coming. Who is trying to penetrate them? Who is trying to cultivate such nonsense? We have to go into it, learn it and find out what it is," he said.

"It is not just giving slogans against Vande Mataram. It is a big conspiracy which has infiltrated our society now. We all have to be very alert," Arlekar said.

The Governor also expressed concern over the opposition to Vande Mataram.

"Society should reflect on where such attitudes questioning the need to sing Vande Mataram originate from. Discussions on the subject should not remain confined to the four walls of a seminar hall or library," he said, adding that the issue should be discussed with neighbours, colleagues and different sections of society.

Stating that Vande Mataram was not merely a song, he said it is a powerful symbol of the national consciousness that brought the country together.

The discussion should not be confined to whether Vande Mataram consists of six stanzas or whether only two stanzas are sung, he said and urged people to understand the spirit, sentiment and national consciousness behind it.

He also wanted the society to be vigilant against attempts to weaken the institutions and traditions of the country.

"The issue was not limited to Vande Mataram alone; society needed to remain vigilant about matters concerning the country's unity and national heritage," he added.