UDF aiding saffronisation of higher education: R. Bindu
The government’s position that the full rendition of Vande Mataram is required as per the protocol of programmes attended by the Governor is a wrong interpretation of the existing guidelines, she says
R. Bindu, former Minister for Higher Education, has criticized the United Democratic Front (UDF) government for giving in to the Sangh Parivar's influence in the higher education sector. She argued that Minister Roji M. John's statement when the UDF first took office, expressing no intention to conflict with the Governor, who serves as Chancellor of State universities, suggested the government would not challenge the Sangh Parivar's agenda in universities.
Bindu spoke at a meeting organized by Sanskrit University Samrakshana Samithi at Kalady, protesting what the group termed destabilizing actions. She disputed the government's assertion that full rendition of Vande Mataram was mandatory in programs attended by the Governor, claiming it was a misinterpretation of existing guidelines.
The UDF, which previously accused the previous Left Democratic Front government of collaborating with the BJP in the controversy over the PM SHRI scheme, reversed its stance after gaining power, Bindu claimed. Adarsh M. Saji, president of the Students Federation of India (SFI) at the national level, alleged that the UDF government was targeting students who protested the Sangh Parivar agenda in universities by filing criminal charges against them.
S. Sathish, secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for Ernakulam district, chaired the meeting, which took place a day after the varsity authorities suspended 16 students for participating in a protest led by the SFI to voice various demands. The suspension will remain in place until a Syndicate sub-committee concludes an inquiry into the events of August 13.
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