Students parading in handcuffed is a violation of Human Rights: MSF writes to Rights Commission
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Kozhikode: The Muslim Students' Federation (MSF), the students' wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has strongly criticized the Kerala police for handcuffing its activists during a peaceful protest against the state government's alleged inaction in resolving the shortage of Higher Secondary seats in northern Kerala.
The MSF has called upon the Hon'ble Human Rights Commission to investigate the blatant violation of human rights and take necessary action against the officials involved.
In a letter to the Human Rights Commission, the MSF questioned the incongruous incidents of the student members affiliated to the ruling Communist party who have been involved in serious crimes with non-bailable offences being accorded preferential treatment by the state police, while the MSF students who were protesting for a genuine cause were subjected to public intimidation in violation of human rights norms.
The MSF alleged that this biased approach is part of a larger political vendetta aimed at suppressing the opposition.
The shortage of Higher Secondary seats in northern Kerala has become a pressing issue, with thousands of students who secured full A+ in their Secondary examinations being left without seats even after the initial allotment process, the MSF in the letter.
Despite repeated appeals and protests, the ruling LDF government has failed to address the genuine concerns raised by students, it said.
On June 25, 2023, two MSF district functionaries, T.P. Afreen and C. Faseeh, were arrested during a demonstration where they waved black flags at the Minister for Education. To the dismay of the MSF and the larger public, these student activists were illegally paraded while handcuffed by police officials.
This act is in direct violation of Supreme Court directives and infringes upon the basic human rights and dignity of the individuals involved, the state alleged.
Both TP Afreen and C Faseeh were subsequently released on station bail, indicating that the charges against them were not of a serious nature. The MSF has provided newspaper clippings as evidence of the incident, highlighting the illegal acts committed by the police.
When students peacefully protested against the violation of the apex court's directives and human rights, the police responded with further aggression. It appears that the officials were intentionally creating a violent situation to safeguard the government and silence the opposition, the letter to the Human Rights Commission said.
The MSF has also raised concerns about the preferential treatment given by the state police to criminals affiliated with the ruling party, who have been involved in serious crimes with non-bailable offenses. The organization alleges that this biased approach is part of a larger political vendetta aimed at suppressing the opposition.
Amidst these grave circumstances, the MSF urges the Human Rights Commission to promptly intervene and take strict action against the officials responsible for these illegal acts. The MSF emphasizes that such actions not only violate the directives of the country's apex court but also disregard basic human rights. The organization calls for an impartial investigation into the matter and hopes that justice will be served.