by Maktoob
In an incident near Kerala’s Perambra, madrasa students who had gone to paste posters on a wall with prior permission were allegedly assaulted, beaten, kicked, and attacked with a metal object, and alleged that they were also called “terrorists.”
According to the students,they sought permission to paste posters on a property owned by a private individual, who initially granted consent and asked them to return at night to carry out the work.
Later, the students were asked to return at night, and when they came back with the posters and approached a house again for consent, the interaction reportedly turned hostile.
The students alleged that they were forcibly taken to a house and given water, after which they were questioned on religious matters and ongoing conflicts, including references to Israel-Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria.
“They spoke communally and questioned us about the war,” one of the students alleged.
When they tried to leave, they locked the gate, pushed them, and hit one of them with a bangle. The students further alleged that when they ran to a nearby restaurant and raised an alarm, the attackers shouted communal slurs.
“They called us terrorists,” the students alleged.
The students said they were beaten, kicked, and assaulted with a metal object.
The injured students were initially admitted to the Perambra Taluk Hospital and were later shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital early the next morning with serious injuries.
The Fraternity Movement alleged that the attack was carried out by Hindutva activists and warned that such incidents could disturb the communal harmony of the region.
The organisation claimed that “even school-aged students were targeted and that individuals involved included those associated with defence services, raising the seriousness of the incident.”
It further alleged that despite the institution filing a complaint, the police had not yet registered a case, calling the delay “suspicious.”
The Fraternity Movement district committee said it would approach the Child Rights Commission and other authorities seeking action against those responsible.
The MSF Perambra committee strongly condemned the incident and stated that one of the alleged attackers is a central government employee, which adds to the seriousness of the matter.
The organisation demanded that the police immediately arrest all those involved in the attack and ensure justice for the students, warning that it would launch strong protests if action is not taken.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com.