Tensions have intensified in Kerala over the observance of ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day,’ with the CPI(M)-led state government clarifying that participation in the event is not mandatory for universities or affiliated colleges.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu announced on 13 August that official communications had been issued through the Directorates of Collegiate and Technical Education, advising institutions that they are not obliged to comply with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s directive to hold events on 14 August, the eve of Independence Day.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Bindu stated the state does not endorse such observances on academic campuses. “The Kerala government believes that such events should not take place in educational institutions, as they risk becoming platforms for communal discord, contradicting the inclusive spirit of our educational policy,” she said.
She further emphasized that Kerala traditionally marks Independence Day by highlighting unity and the sacrifices of freedom fighters, in line with the values enshrined in the Constitution. Introducing a commemoration focused on the tragedies of Partition, she warned, could promote sectarian tension rather than national unity.
Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan also denounced the Governor’s move, describing it as a grave misstep and part of a broader effort by the Sangh Parivar to sow division. He alleged that the initiative reflects the RSS’s ideological goals, accusing the BJP of deploying a new tactic—invoking the trauma of Partition—to fuel communal divisions. “When attempts to polarize Christian and Muslim communities failed, they resorted to this new narrative,” Satheesan claimed.
Meanwhile, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) held statewide protests against the directive. Demonstrators at Kerala University burned effigies of both the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor, drawing strong condemnation from BJP-aligned Syndicate members.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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