IIT Madras row: 20 protesters detained in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: As many as 20 members of the Coimbatore Students Forum (CSF) -- a coalition of more than 10 student movements and social outfits -- were detained on Wednesday when they staged a road roko to protest against the derecognition of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle at IIT Madras.
At around 11.30am, 20 cadres representing various student movements and social outfits blocked traffic at the signal near the head post office in R S Puram.The junction of T V Samy Road and D B Road had been blocked for around 20 minutes. The R S Puram police detained the protesters.
Sathiyabalan S, a member of the CSF and a former Coimbatore Law College student, told TOI: “We want IIT Madras to revoke derecognition of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC). It has denied the students their right to free expression.”
He said the CSF staged a rail roko on Monday to protest against the APSC derecognition. “We blocked a Chennai-bound train. Fourteen of us were detained. Later we were released,” he said.
Sathiyabalan said they were also demanding freedom of speech on dalit matters at the Coimbatore Government Arts College as well as at the Law College. He said, “In April, we wanted to book the college auditorium for Ambedkar Jayanthi celebrations, and the college did not grant us permission. They said we could organize the event outside the campus.”
The Coimbatore Students Forum demanded freedom of speech on the campuses.
“We should also be allowed to distribute pamphlets and make announcements at schools and colleges on lectures related to dalit issues,” said Sathiyabalan.
Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India launched an Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) at Siddhapudur here on Wednesday. “This is to extend our support to the APSC at IIT-M,” said Deepak Chandrakanth, secretary of SFI, Coimbatore chapter.
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