COLOMBO: All colleges, except medical and agricultural institutions, in Kerala have been closed by the State Government for two weeks, because of the prevailing tension among the students population.

Reports of violent student demonstrations protesting against Police excesses are still pouring in from various parts of Kerala state.

The Kerala Government blamed the Congress for exploiting students for expressing their anger against the Government.

The situation deteriorated after the death of a pre-degree student last Sunday [Oct 1] when the students clashed with the Police. Kerala Government announced that the student died of heart failure and not of Police attack.

In Calicut, Kerala Congress chief K.C. Abraham appealed to the Union Government to step in and protect the life and property of Kerala people as the state Government has resorted to a reign of terror.

The state Education Minister, Mr Mohammed Koya of the Muslim League, has assured that the United Front Government would preserve law and order. He emphasised that the Muslim League would not hesitate to quit the Government if the law and order situation in Kerala went out of control.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Lhasa,] Indian aggressor troops which intruded into the Chinese territory across Cho La pass on the China-Sikkim border and attacked the Chinese frontier guards were compelled to stop their provocation at 20:00 hours on Sunday after the heroic Chinese frontier guards in Tibet repulsed them resolutely and forcefully, the “New China News Agency” said today [Oct 3].

The Agency said: “Having themselves committed aggression, the reactionary Indian Government as usual lied and slandered to influence public opinion and deceive the Indian people in order to cover up its crimes of aggression. But the result was numerous self-contradictions and a very poor performance.

“After this military intrusion into China by Indian troops, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi again resorted to her frequent tricks by saying that this was ‘not desired by India’.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2017