CPM, minister protecting Kalarikkal: MGU researcher

Kochi: Research scholar Deepa P Mohanan, who has been on indefinite hunger strike at the MG University, Kottayam, alleging caste discrimination by professor Dr Nandakumar Kalarikkal, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that she was at a point of abandoning her studies due to the fascist attitude of CPM in protecting Nandakumar.
In a Facebook post made at 8:38am from her profile, Deepa alleged that the minister for higher education R Bindu was in support of sabotaging of the case registered under SC-ST Atrocities Act.“…It was the party that protected (him) till date, including in sabotaging the SC-ST atrocities case. Minister Bindu has been supporting this. There is not much to expect any more from the wife of a state leader of the party. At a situation when a university inquiry report is existing against Nandakumar, he is still being maintained in the Left syndicate, IIUCNN and Left teachers’ association,” the FB post read.
The allegation came a day after MG University removed Kalarikkal from the post of the director of the International and Inter University Centre for Nano Science and Nano technology (IIUCNN). However, the researcher was continuing the hunger strike as she was firm on her demand to oust the professor from the centre.
Deepa, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike in the varsity for over 10 days, had also alleged that the professor prevented her from doing her research. On Saturday, the vice-chancellor of the university Sabu Thomas had taken charge as the IIUCNN director, and the university was learned to have made the decision based on a directive from the state government.
On Saturday, minister for higher education Bindu had reiterated her support to the student. In a Facebook post the minister had said that the VC has taken over the IIUCNN director post and urged Deepa to end the hunger strike and focus on her research as her most important demand was met.
The VC had said on Saturday that Kalarikkal had stepped down and that the decision was made after holding talks with Kalarikkal based on a directive from the government. Thomas had said that Kalarikkal was a brilliant faculty member and that he was willing to step down. He had also said that nobody can remove Kalarikkal as a faculty member, adding that he will continue to serve in the centre as well as in the physics department.
Kalarikkal had moved court on the allegations against him and the court had quashed all the cases against him, the VC had said, adding that the issue needs to be settled.