Staging a mock funeral for a living individual is widely viewed as a severe insult and an effort at character assassination. On August 13, SFI activists performed such a protest against Vice Chancellor Dr Ciza Thomas at Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University in Kaladi near Kochi, while a Syndicate meeting was underway. Participants acted as if attending an actual funeral.
The Save University Campaign Committee filed a complaint with the State Home Minister, noting the protest caused the vice chancellor significant mental distress. The committee stated that SFI avoids democratic protest methods and instead engages in character attacks and harassment of academics, calling for immediate action against those involved.
The demonstration also blocked the vice chancellor and some Syndicate members from exiting the campus after the meeting. When asked about their demands, the protesters gave no clear response. The event has renewed focus on prior SFI actions against academics in Kerala, showing a pattern of aggressive tactics.
Past cases include an assault on former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan in 2016, a symbolic grave for a retiring principal in Palakkad the same year, and the burning of a principal’s chair in Kochi in 2017. Additional reports involve physical assaults on female professors who resisted SFI instructions.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar expressed shock during a meeting with the Chief Minister and called for strict measures. Higher Education Minister Roji M. John also condemned the action. The state’s vice chancellors’ group demanded accountability, noting available visuals but no filed cases. Dr Ciza Thomas plans to lodge a police complaint on August 15.
