Governor’s visit to Kalady Sanskrit University: HOD accused of ‘threatening’ students to attend the event

Kochi: The visit of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) for the Sree Shankara Jayanti celebrations has sparked controversy, amid allegations of students being threatened by a teacher to attend the event and subsequent protests. University authorities, however, maintained that the event proceeded as planned with good participation from students and staff.

The latest flashpoint involves a leaked WhatsApp audio message allegedly sent by R D Sunil Kumar, Head of the Department of Sanskrit Grammar. In the clip, research scholars are reportedly warned that their future academic milestones, specifically Research Advisory Committee (RAC) meetings and Open Defence sessions, would be affected if they don’t attend the Governor’s event.

According to the audio, the assistance PhD scholars receive from the department will depend on their level of cooperation in the event and a record would be kept of those who “sincerely cooperated” and those who did not. Besides the chancellor’s event, the same directions in the audio were applicable to the farewell party of a teacher from the Sanskrit Grammar department, which was held on Monday.

“Everyone’s presence is strictly required. You need various forms of assistance from the department; the help provided to you will depend on your level of cooperation. Keep that in mind. Regarding the program on the 21st, there is no need to explain further. Everyone must arrive before 10 am. We will record exactly who cooperates sincerely. Future proceedings will depend on who cooperated and who did not. There are matters like the RAC and Open Defence; if you want cooperation from the department’s side for those, you must cooperate accordingly,” the audio said.

Students have raised a formal complaint, characterising the message as a blatant threat to their academic careers.

Meanwhile, speaking to Onmanorama, Sunil Kumar confirmed that the voice in the audio message was his and that it had been sent to a group of PhD scholars. However, he maintained that it was not intended as a threat, alleging that some students with vested political interests had leaked the audio and politicised the issue. He said his intention was only to ensure active student participation in academic activities, noting that many students do not attend such events.

“All except a few PhD scholars to whom I sent the message turned up for today’s event. They don’t feel that I threatened them because they know I sent the voice message with good intentions to ensure the success of a prestigious event the university is hosting. Many students are simply joining PhD fellowships to receive the monthly stipend and then drop out without submitting their thesis on time. They don’t take part in any academic activities in the university. We have already tried different methods to change this, but nothing has worked. That’s why I had to send that message in such a tone,” Sunil Kumar said.

The ‘code of conduct’ circular row
Two days earlier, the university courted controversy after issuing an internal circular for the staff that laid down strict protocols for the Governor’s visit, drawing criticism for its “colonial” overtones. The initial guidelines mandated compulsory standing when the Governor entered and exited, restricted “unnecessary movement” during the address, directed attendees to applaud at the end of the speech, and barred anyone from leaving the hall until the Governor had departed.

Following protests by Students’ Federation of India (SFI)  and intense criticism, the university withdrew the document and issued a revised circular. The newer version maintained that students must arrive by 10.30 am, silence their mobile phones, and remain in the hall until the conclusion of the ceremony, but removed the directions regarding standing and clapping.

Arlekar urges to declare Sankara Jayanti a state festival
The Governor inaugurated the celebrations this morning amidst a heavy police presence. Activists from the SFI staged a demonstration outside the university gates, raising placards alleging “saffronisation” of the campus and the restrictive administrative orders.

“Prior to the Governor's arrival, police removed two protest banners erected by the students to ensure a clear path for the official convoy. Despite the outside unrest and the internal departmental friction, the official programme proceeded as scheduled under high security. The event was successfully held and there was very good participation from the students,” said a university official.

Meanwhile, after inaugurating the celebrations, Arlekar called for Sree Shankara Jayanti to be declared a state festival and celebrated on a grand scale. “Sree Sankaracharya is the great Guru who introduced Kerala to the world and is an invaluable treasure of the state. Adi Shankara's birth anniversary should be celebrated globally. It is Kerala that gifted Shankara to the world, and he is the pride of every Keralite. By making Shankara Jayanti a state festival, every citizen of Kerala can feel a sense of pride,” the Governor said.

The Governor further said that protests are not part of our culture; rather, dialogue is our true heritage. Sanatana culture is one where people can converse with each other. He emphasised the need to carry forward the values upheld by Adi Shankara and Sree Narayana Guru. Instead of clashing over conflicting opinions, people should engage in peaceful dialogue.