A protest at Maharaja’s College in Kochi disrupted its convocation ceremony on Friday after SFI activists moved towards the stage while Higher Education Minister Roji M John was delivering his inaugural address, forcing him to cut short his speech and leave the dais.
The protesters, led by college representatives, were demonstrating against the suspension of 16 students from Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. The students had faced disciplinary action after taking part in a symbolic protest over campus facilities, according to the report.
The demonstration began as the minister was speaking at the graduation ceremony. Protesters displayed banners and raised slogans before moving towards the stage. They subsequently entered the stage area and took the microphone to raise questions, prompting security personnel to intervene.
John said students had the right to express their views and question policies through legitimate, non-violent means. However, he said protests should not be conducted in a manner that disrupts academic programmes or undermines the institutional setting of a convocation.
“Students have full freedom to express their views and question policies through legitimate, non-violent means in a democratic setup,” John told reporters after the incident. He added that protests targeting academic events attended by graduating students and their families could disrupt a major milestone and affect the reputation of institutions such as Maharaja’s College.
The minister said he had offered to address the protesters’ grievances formally after the ceremony but would not be intimidated by threats or yield to coercive action. He also said there was a democratic way to raise concerns without interrupting the event.
The incident has led to political reactions, with the Congress state leadership supporting the minister’s concerns about campus safety and the disruption of public functions. Local police have registered cases against several identifiable participants, while university authorities are reviewing the security arrangements and the lapses that allowed the protest to reach the stage.
The episode has placed the management of dissent at academic institutions under scrutiny, particularly when protests take place during public ceremonies involving students, families and officials. Authorities are expected to take forward the police investigation and review security procedures for future academic programmes.
