SFI vows not to yield to MSF intimidation after campus poll clashes

The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has declared it will not be intimidated by the MSF alliance following violent clashes at Calicut University's campus union elections. State secretary P.S. Sanjeev made the statement after members of SFI and the UDSF—comprising the Muslim Students' Federation (MSF) and Kerala Students' Union (KSU)—clashed during vote counting on October 28.

The confrontation erupted as election officials tabulated votes for the university's student union positions at the main campus. The exact circumstances that triggered the violence remain unclear, though tensions between rival student political organisations are common during high-stakes campus elections in Kerala.

Sanjeev's statement represents a firm pushback against what SFI characterises as attempts to suppress its activities through intimidation and force. The organisation called on university authorities and law enforcement to take action against those responsible for the violence and ensure peaceful democratic participation in future campus elections.

The incident underscores ongoing rivalries between student political groups affiliated with different state and national political parties. Campus elections in Kerala's premier institutions frequently become flashpoints for larger ideological and political contests among student wings.