The happenings at The English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) have attracted attention from people all over the country. In the latest, several Members of Parliament MPs have written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar and Chairperson of National Women's Commission (NCW) Rekha Sharma, urging them to intervene when it comes to the sexual assault that happened on campus.
On October 16, students at EFLU initiated a peaceful protest demanding the reconstitution of the sexual harassment committee SPARSH (Sensitisation, Prevention, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment), and reservation for an LGBTQ candidate in the cell. A girl who participated in the protest was sexually harassed on October 18 inside the campus. Amidst this, a talk on Palestine planned by an allegedly left-extremist organisation was disallowed by the administration and subsequently, FIRs were lodged by Proctor T Samson against 11 students.
In their letters, the MPs have highlighted the ineptness with which the administration dealt with the situation and thus, urged the necessity of intervention, to protect the democratic rights of the students. They have also asked for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Lok Sabha MP Hibi Eden, in his letter to Rekha Sharma on October 23, says, "The administration's failure to provide immediate security to its students and the subsequent lack of expeditious action to identify and apprehend the perpetrators have raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of students on campus. Furthermore, the administration's response to the student protest by filing a case against 11 students is deeply troubling."
Rajya Sabha MP Abdul Wahab PV, in his letter to Jagadesh Kumar on October 21, additionally advocates for the "withdrawal of the FIRs against the students, considering their future and the need for a fair and transparent resolution". "I believe that immediate action and intervention are necessary to prevent further escalation of this situation and to restore trust within the university community," he writes.
"There are complaints that instead of addressing the just demands of the students, the administration is trying to muzzle out the voices of dissent through punitive actions upon those who demand their due rights," mentions Rajya Sabha MP Dr V Sivadasan to Sharma, on October 20.
The concerned people have also shown displeasure at the administration for clubbing the sexual assault and Palestine incidents. "It is clear that by clubbing these two unrelated incidents, the EFLU administration is trying to weave a communal narrative with the intention of polarizing and diverting attention from their apathy and inaction," writes John Brittas, Rajya Sabha MP to Pradhan on October 23.
Similarly, Lok Sabha MP from Chalakudy, Kerala, in his letter to the education minister on October 23, points out that in filing FIRs against the students, "It appears that the administration is attempting to divert attention from its own shortcomings by intertwining unrelated incidents and, in doing so, is fostering a communal narrative that only serves to polarize the community. Equally troubling is the apparent targeting of students from Kerala, as indicated by the fact that a significant number of the accused students in the FIR hail from the state."
Mohammad Basheer, another Lok Sabha MP and former education minister of Kerala, writes, "I believe that immediate action and intervention are necessary to prevent further escalation of this situation and to restore trust within the university community."
AA Rahim, Rajya Sabha MP, states, "I look forward to your prompt response and the steps that your ministry will take to address these urgent matters," in his letter to Pradhan on October 21.