Students protest against ban on IIT-M study circle

COIMBATORE: As many as 20 cadre of the Coimbatore Students' Forum (CSF), a coalition of more than 10 student movements and social outfits, were arrested on Wednesday morning, for protesting against the ban on Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, an IIT-Madras student forum. The cadres staged a road block in R S Puram.
Around 11.30am, 20 representives of various student movements and social outfits blocked traffic at the signal near the head post office in R S Puram.The signal that connects T V Samy road with D B Road was blocked for 20 minutes. Following the road block, R S Puram police arrested the cadres.
Sathiyabalan S, a member of the CSF and a former Coimbatore Law College student told TOI, "We want IIT-Madras to revoke the ban on Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC). This is like putting a curb on students' freedom of speech.
He said the CSF had staged a rail block on Monday to protest against the APSC ban. "We had a discussion in Gandhipuram and around 3pm on Monday staged a rail block. We had blocked a train from Coimbatore that was bound for Chennai," said Sathiyabalan. Following the rail block, 14 cadres were arrested on Monday, and released later that evening.
Sathiyabalan also said that they are demanding freedom of speech on Dalit matters at Coimbatore Government Arts College and Law College. "In April we wanted to book the college auditorium to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanthi, and the college did not grant us permission," he said.
The Coimbatore Students Forum seeks freedom of speech on collage campuses. "We should be able to organize talks, distribute pamphlets and make announcements on lectures pertaining to Dalit issues," said Sathiyabalan.
The Student Federation of India, Coimbatore chapter, started an Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle for Coimbatore in Siddhapudur at 4.30pm. "This is to show our support for the APSC in IIT-M," said Deepak Chandrakanth, secretary of SFI, Coimbatore chapter.