Kerala Higher Education Minister Up Against Kannur University Syllabus, Says 'Problematic To Add RSS Ideologues'

The controversy started with Kannur University recently sanctioning a new course that has included the writings of Hindutva leaders.

Kerala Higher Education Minister Bindu

Chennai: Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Saturday took to social media to express her disapproval of the newly-introduced MA Governance And Politics course syllabus at Kannur University stating that the government does not want classrooms to become spaces of communal agenda. She also said that the syllabus appears like it was made with a notion that political thought just means views concerning religion and caste. Hence, the Minister has also conveyed the opinion of the Higher Education Department to the varsity.

However, the controversy started with Kannur University recently sanctioning a new course under the Public Administration Department. In the syllabus for the course, the University has included the writings of Hindutva leaders. The syllabus recommended books of prominent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologues including MS Golwalkar, Veer Savarkar, and Deendayal Upadhyaya. 

Following this, the syllabus sparked protests among KSU and MSF student bodies staging protests at the University. They alleged that the new syllabus is trying to saffronise the education system. 

On Saturday, Higher Education Minister Bindu also came up against the syllabus, she said, the syllabus should include all political thoughts and make students examine them. However, still, the government does not want to convert classrooms that are supposed to be secular places into communal spaces, she said. 

The Minister also said that the thoughts of the department have been communicated to the University. 

However, Kannur University on September 10 rejected the allegations that they have saffronised education with the portions on RSS ideologies. Yet the University has also formed an external panel to review the syllabus and a two-member committee within the varsity has been told to submit a report within five days. The Kannur University Vice-Chancellor Gopinath Ravindran said, the allegation of saffronisation is baseless and such an allegation can even be raised against Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi since a syllabus on VD Savarkar is included even in JNU syllabus.