Kerala Erupts Over VCs Attending RSS-Backed Education Summit
By Amit Kumar
A heated political and academic uproar has gripped Kerala after multiple university vice-chancellors
participated in the “Jnana Sabha,” an education summit held in Kochi and attended by RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat. The event, organised by the Kerala wing of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas an
organisation closely affiliated with the RSS has drawn fierce criticism from state ministers, student
unions, and civil society.
Held on July 27 and 28 at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, the summit featured the presence of top
academic figures, including Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohan Kunnummal, Calicut University’s
Dr. P. Ravindran, Kannur University’s Prof. Dr. K.K. Saju, and KUFOS Vice-Chancellor A. Bijukumar. Also
in attendance was Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, further fueling concerns of
ideological interference in academia.
Kerala’s Higher Education Minister Dr. R. Bindu did not hold back in her response. Describing the
summit as the “Sangh Parivar’s Jnana Sabha,” she called it part of a “vile agenda” aimed at dragging
Kerala society, “liberated through the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment,” back under
“Brahminical dominance.”
“The Sangh Parivar is targeting Kerala with an anti-education stance that would not tolerate any
higher education policy aligned with the modern world,” she said.
Dr. Bindu accused the RSS of pushing “regressive policies” and declared, “Their ultimate goal is to
create a theocratic Hindu Rashtra rooted in the ideology of Manusmriti,” adding that “the attempt to
seize control of universities and intellectual spaces is part of a broader plan to build an ideological
ecosystem that supports this agenda.”
Calling out the participation of the vice-chancellors, she voiced strong concern “Those who should be
leading the pursuit of knowledge and academic growth have instead allowed their intellect to be
turned into stables of ignorance.”
While asserting that “the RSS may take pride in this,” she added, “it is a matter of shame for Kerala.”
Dr. Bindu strongly asserted that “turning inclusive educational institutions into laboratories for
Hindutva nation-building is unacceptable under any circumstance,” and added that those complicit
will “hang their heads in shame before the academic community for years to come.”
She also vowed resistance: “Kerala’s youth and academic community will expose the Sangh Parivar’s
regressive dream of building an army of ignorance,” and proclaimed that the enlightened people of
Kerala, “educated by genuine teachers,” will “discard the Sangh’s dark plans, ones that treat
ignorance as virtue, into the dustbin of history.”
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty echoed similar sentiments, calling the summit “a deeply
concerning attempt to saffronise education, just like implementing the National Education Policy.”
“Education must be accessible and secular for everyone,” he said.
“Any effort to bring the education sector under a specific ideological or political grip will not be accepted under any circumstance.”
He further added, “Such moves are aimed at distorting educational policies to serve sectarian
interests,” and affirmed, “universities should remain independent and neutral spaces focused on
academic excellence and research, not centres for political engineering.”
Sivankutty reiterated the government’s position: “We are committed to protecting the integrity of
our public and higher education systems, in line with constitutional values and democratic
principles.” He concluded, “Kerala’s society will stand firm against such communalisation efforts and
safeguard the secular nature of our education sector.”
The backlash wasn’t limited to government quarters. Several student groups raised alarms over the
participation of the vice-chancellors, expressing disappointment in the state government for what
they termed a “tacit approval” of the event.
The Muslim Students Federation (MSF) sharply condemned the move, stating, “Kerala’s education
system need not stoop to receive ‘jnana’ from the RSS,” and warned that “a government that
remains silent is effectively complicit.”
Aloysius Xavier, President of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress party,
also took a strong stand. “Vice-chancellors don’t receive their salaries from the RSS headquarters in
Nagpur,” he said, adding, “Mohan Bhagwat is neither the Governor, nor the Higher Education
Minister, nor the UGC Chairman. Let him discuss education with RSS workers if he wants. Why should
vice-chancellors be required to attend?”
Xavier warned that action would follow: “We will organise protests across campuses in the state
against these VCs.”
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) stated the vice-chancellors “have proven themselves unfit to
continue in their posts by attending an event directly overseen by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.”
Calling the Jnana Sabha “not a mere seminar,” the SFI said it was “part of a larger training
programme to impose an RSS-imagined education system, one that subverts Kerala’s humanistic,
inclusive academic ethos and replaces it with the Sangh Parivar’s communal agenda.”
They also pointed to a deeper institutional issue, alleging that VCs “handpicked by the Governor, are
preparing to act as tools for Hindutva infiltration into universities,” and branded them “a disgrace to
Kerala’s academic community.”
The Fraternity Movement Kerala had earlier voiced serious concern about reports suggesting that
vice-chancellors might participate in the RSS-led event, warning that “the Sangh Parivar’s attempts to
saffronise not just universities but the entire education sector will be firmly resisted.”