SFI activists begin relay fast at SSUS, demand unconditional withdrawal of students’ suspension

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) campus. File

The Students Federation of India (SFI) has intensified its agitation demanding unconditional revocation of the suspension of 16 students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) in connection with the protests held on August 13 this year.

Three of its suspended activists have started an indefinite relay fast at the Kalady main campus of the university near Kochi as part of the strike.

The protesting activists on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) said the protest will continue till the authorities decided to withdraw their suspension without any conditions.

A Syndicate meeting held on Monday (November 2, 2026) had decided on the conditional revocation of suspension of 12 of the 16 students. It stated that the revocation will be subject to the submission of an unconditional apology stating that they will not breach the disciplinary norms in the future.

The suspension of the remaining four students was extended for two months on charges that they were actively involved in the SFI’s organisational affairs during the period of disciplinary action.

The students whose suspension has been extended claimed that they had entered the campus as part of their research work. We will not tender any apology as directed by the Syndicate, they said

The Syndicate meet on Monday (November 2, 2026), which approved the report of its five-member sub-committee that probed the incidents that occurred on August 13, found that the SFI activists had staged a mock funeral of Vice Chancellor Ciza Thomas. It stated that the participation of the suspended students was confirmed based on CCTV visuals examined by the officials concerned.

The agitating students had rejected the allegations while pointing out that they had only staged a performance to highlight the damaged light equipment in the Department of Theatre. They said that it will be staged again at the Kalady main campus on Tuesday (November 3, 2026).

The university authorities issued a release on Monday (November 2, 2026) rejecting claims made by the agitating students that they had used damaged lights at the Department of Theatre during the protest on August 13. The Head of the department had informed the Syndicate that the lights were damaged during the massive floods in 2018. The university has not received any complaint about damaged lights from 2018 to March 2026, it said.

The SFI State leadership issued a statement urging the cultural activists in the State to speak up against the suspension of the 16 students. It alleged that the authorities had refused to permit the suspended students from writing their exams despite a directive by the Single Bench of the Kerala High Court. The cultural represenatives need to shed their silence over the issue and support the students, it said.