For the first time ever, universities in Kerala have been asked to observe August 14, Independence Day eve, as "Partition Horror Day". The Raj Bhavan has issued a circular to vice chancellors of all universities in Kerala to come up with an action plan on how to observe the 'Horror Day'.

"I am directed to inform that August 14 has been declared as 'Partition Horror Day'. The universities can organise seminars to commemorate this occasion. They can prepare dramas on this, which can be done by going to the people and showing how terrible the partition was," says the directive from the additional secretary to the Governor. It also asked VCs to "forward the action plan of the university about this." 

It was in 2021 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared August 14 as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day'. He took to X (then Twitter) to tell why. "Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced,  and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day."

The move was widely criticised as a Sangh Parivar project to stoke hostility against the Muslim community. Raj Bhavan sources told Onmanorama that the Governor was only trying to implement a UGC (University Grants Commission) advisory to colleges and universities. In April 2022, after Modi made the declaration, the UGC secretary sent missives to colleges and universities. 

This was the secretary's message: "All the universities and their affiliated/constituent colleges/institutions are requested to display the exhibition during August 10-14, 2022, at prominent places where a large number of people can see it." The UGC wanted the educational institutions to use the partition images curated by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA).

Like the PM, the UGC secretary also said that the 'Horrors Remembrance Day' was created to "bring to light the agony, suffering and pain of millions of people who suffered during the Partition. It is to remind the country of the largest displacement of human population in the last century, which claimed the lives of a large number of people." There was also a touch of caution in the secretary's letter. He said that the day should not hurt the sentiments of any section of society and should be observed "with the sobriety and solemness that it deserves".

If the UGC had asked colleges to conduct exhibitions on partition, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has called upon universities to stage street plays on partition. Given that such a programme requires student support, it is not clear how institutions will respond to the Governor's circular.