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Archbishop Mar Powathil welcomes fiat

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MAY 28. The recent High Court verdict stating that political activity can be banned on the campus by the college managements should be welcomed by all those who wish for the social, cultural and political growth of Kerala, the chairman of the Inter Church Council for Education and the Archbishop of Changanassery, Joseph Mar Powathil, has said.

In a press note issued today, Mar Powathil said only those political leaders who saw colleges solely as a forum for recruiting party cadre and to play party politics would oppose such a verdict.

"What is required on the campus is a clean atmosphere for studies. For this, there should be the rule of the law and peace. The nature of activities of present day political parties is such that it destroys the very spirit of college education. The college authorities have the right and duty to avoid such a situation. It is this that the High Court has upheld," he said.

There was surely space for political studies and political discussions on the campus and there should be such possibilities in the colleges. The conversion of colleges into platforms of party politics could not be accepted, he said.

"What is witnessed in most colleges today is the most distorted form of political activity. In no democratic country are colleges made centres of party politics. In important centres of learning, there is no party politics.

The situation today is that the rule of law, teaching and the teacher-student relationship are collapsing due to party politics on the campus. This will destroy all democratic traditions," Mar Powathil added.

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