THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mohanan Kunnummal has issued an order that the Kerala University Youth Festival starting on the 7th should not be named 'Intifada'.

A group of students had complained to the VC that it was a word used by Hamas to attack Israel. It means resistance, bloody revolution etc. The complainants also demanded that the word used by terrorist organizations should be avoided as the name of the festival. The High Court had sought an explanation from the varsity on the petition to change the name.

The art festival was organized under the name 'Intifada' with the theme of 'Defense of Arts against Invasions'. The VC instructed that the name should be Kerala University Youth Festival. The registrar, director of student services and chairman of the university union were asked to remove the name 'Intifada' from banners, posters and social media.

The VC's order states that actions that hurt the sentiments of students, teachers or public should be strictly avoided in the official programs of the university and that this term is against the foreign policy of the country and legal proceedings on this account will tarnish the good name of the university.

When the registrar asked for a report from Dr Siddique, director of student services, on the instructions of the VC, he was told that the word only means 'emerging resistance' and that the university did not interfere with the name and theme used creatively by the university union.

The University Union is fully under the control of SFI. The youth festival is run by the union but the university pays lakhs for the expenses.