Kerala CM steps in, Varsity sets up panel to study 'saffronisation of syllabus'

Thiruvananthapuram: The inclusion of the works of VD Savarkar and M S Golwalkar in the syllabus of Kerala's Kannur University will be subjected to scrutiny by a two-member University expert panel by the recommendation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Responding to the controversy revolved around the inclusion of the books of the RSS ideologues, Pinarayi Vijayan said that it was not prudent for anyone to glorify those who had shown their backs on the freedom struggle.

Kerala state has always kept a distance from such controversial figures and glorifying them, the Chief Minister said adding that any retrogressive ideology should have to be examined critically.

The panel would examine the syllabus and appropriate actions would be followed according to the panel's recommendations, he added.

Recently, the Kannur University has included Savarkar's 'Hindutva: Who is a Hindu', and Golwalkar's 'Bunch of Thoughts' and 'We or Our Nationhood Defined' in the syllabus of MA Governance and Politics.

Portions from Deendayal Upadhyaya's "Integral Humanism" and Balraj Madhok's "Indianisation: What, Why and How" also figure in the syllabus were also included in the MA syllabus.

Kannur University V-C Prof Gopinath Ravindran rejected the allegation of saffronisation. "We have included the works of Gandhiji, Nehru, Ambedkar and Tagore. And the syllabus included the works of Savarkar and Golwalkar. Let students learn and understand the basic text behind all ideologies," he said. "What they [Savarkar and Golwalkar] stated is part of current Indian politics. What's wrong with learning that?"