The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn a controversial order that directed authorities to prevent students and young people from participating in political protests organised by Left parties and the Tamil Nadu Cockroach Janata Party (TNCJP).
The Directorate of Collegiate Education issued the original communication on August 17, asking the School Education Department, Higher Education Department, police and district administrations to take “appropriate, coordinated action” to discourage students from joining such protests.
The directive was withdrawn within days following strong criticism from student organisations and opposition voices.
Order called ‘unconstitutional’
The circular had specifically referred to protests organised by Left parties and the TNCJP. It also called for monitoring the participation of students and youth in such political programmes.
Saurav Das, spokesperson for the TNCJP, described the directive as “unconstitutional” and “irrational”.
BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam, however, defended the order and described the Left parties and the TNCJP’s Tamil Nadu unit as “agents of chaos”. He also accused their leaders of misleading students.
On Wednesday, Joint Director of Collegiate Education Cynthia Selvi P formally withdrew the earlier communication.
“The office letter referred to above is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” the fresh order stated.
Student body welcomes withdrawal
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), which had announced a protest outside the Directorate of Collegiate Education in Chennai, welcomed the withdrawal.
SFI said that students expressing political views and participating in peaceful demonstrations are part of their democratic rights.
“Students are not objects of government surveillance; they are active citizens of a democracy,” the organisation said.
However, SFI said the government must explain why the original order was issued and who directed officials to prepare it.
The organisation also questioned why the education department, police and district administration were asked to coordinate the monitoring of students’ political participation.
NEET protests form backdrop
The controversy comes amid ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and wider concerns about the education system.
Youth-led demonstrations have also taken place in other parts of the country over alleged examination irregularities.
SFI stressed that while authorities can act against individuals who break the law, participating in a peaceful political protest should not itself be treated as an offence.
“Students should not be threatened for holding political views or participating in peaceful protests,” the organisation said.
The withdrawal has been described by SFI as a “democratic victory”, while the Tamil Nadu government and Higher Education Minister are yet to publicly explain why the original directive was issued.
