Kannur: Acting on Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s directive to observe ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’, Kannur University has instructed all college principals and campus directors to promptly submit their “action plans” for the August 14 commemoration.

This was despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan calling Governor Rajendra Arlekar's circular to universities "unconstitutional" and warning against "surrendering our universities to the Sangh Parivar's political agenda of dividing people".

In a letter dated August 11, the university shared a Google form with institutional heads, asking them to provide "names and details of the programmes to be conducted on August 14 - Partition Horrors Remembrance Day".

They were asked to submit the form by 11 am on August 12 "so that they could be sent to the Governor's office urgently".

The university reminded the principals that the programmes should include seminars, plays, poster-making and other activities.

The letter was signed by the Director of Students’ Service (DSS), Sujith K V, on behalf of Registrar Prof Joby Jose.

The move drew a swift response from the Kannur University Senators’ Forum, aligned with the Congress-led United Democratic Front, which issued a strongly worded letter rejecting the observance. The forum accused "pro-Sangh Parivar vice-chancellors" of misinterpreting a Supreme Court ruling that removed vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran from office as a pretext to "infiltrate universities". It accused the Sangh Parivar of pushing an ideological agenda, even going to the extent of recasting Independence Day.

The Senate members warned that "new narratives" aimed at undermining the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Indian National Congress would not be allowed. "No principal under Kannur University should implement any programme," said forum convener Dr Shino P Jose. Dr Jose is one of the two petitioners whose appeal in the Supreme Court led to the removal of Prof Gopinath Ravindran as Vice-Chancellor and reaffirmed the Governor's authority in appointing V-Cs.

The UDF-aligned senators noted that the university -- which has included V D Savarkar's writings and the autobiography of K K Shailaja in its syllabus -- was traditionally a stronghold of the Left, and vowed to "resist and defeat" any attempt to advance the Sangh Parivar's agenda with the support of the Vice-Chancellor.

Almost all of Kerala’s vice-chancellors are ad hoc appointees of the Governor, who is also the chancellor of state universities. The Chief Minister has accused the Governor of using that position to push a divisive political line into academic spaces. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was introduced in 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.