Malappuram: Muslim League-affiliated members of the University of Calicut Senate have strongly defended Vice-Chancellor Dr P Raveendran amid the controversy surrounding the inclusion of rapper Vedan’s song 'Bhumi Njan Vazhunna Idam' in the Malayalam curriculum. They dismissed attempts to politically brand the Vice-Chancellor as a sympathiser of the Sangh Parivar, calling such allegations baseless and politically motivated.

The controversy erupted after Vedan’s song and Michael Jackson’s 'They Don’t Care About Us' were included in the third-semester BA Malayalam syllabus for comparative literary study. Following public complaints, Dr Raveendran ordered a probe, reportedly on the instructions of the Chancellor. The inquiry, led by writer and former Malayalam department head Dr M M Basheer, recommended the removal of Vedan’s song, citing it as unsuitable for the syllabus. He also suggested reconsidering comparisons between Kathakali and Carnatic music, including references to Gauri Lakshmi’s 'Ajitha Hare Madhava'.

“There is a deliberate misinformation campaign underway,” Senate member Dr Abida Farooqui told Onmanorama. “Only a couple of members raised objections. I personally support retaining Vedan’s work in the syllabus.”

She emphasised that the Vice-Chancellor had acted in accordance with academic norms by referring the issue to an expert committee and forwarding the report to the Academic Council. “There is no evidence of any personal or political agenda,” she added.

The League members also clarified that Vedan’s song was included during the initial drafting phase of the syllabus and that the expert panel was formed based on the Chancellor’s recommendation, not arbitrarily.

The final decision on the inclusion of the songs now rests with the Board of Studies (BoS) and the Academic Council, which are expected to announce their verdict soon.