Kerala Minister's Teachers' Day Message Takes Aim at V-Cs at RSS Events

On Teachers' Day, Kerala's Higher Education Minister Roji M John issued a pointed message, cautioning Vice-Chancellors against participating in events hosted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In his online post, he described such participation as unbecoming for leaders of higher education institutions, stating that it undermines their role in a society where divisive agendas should have no place.

The Minister urged academic heads to remember the dignity of their offices. He warned that surrendering academic autonomy to narrow political interests questions the very essence of education. Institutions of higher learning, he emphasized, should remain bastions of free thought and constitutional values.

While no specific individuals were named, the remarks come amid recent controversies involving several university officials. These include Vice-Chancellors who attended a programme addressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Thiruvananthapuram in June, and another who participated in a subsequent RSS event in August. Additionally, the in-charge Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University faced criticism for inaugurating a Balagokulam procession in Thrissur on the eve of Teachers' Day.

In his message, the Minister also addressed the teaching community directly, urging them to treat every student without discrimination. He referenced the tragic death of a dental student following alleged caste-based harassment, suggesting that such incidents reveal a failure to grasp the true purpose of teaching. He stressed that educators are responsible for nurturing humanitarian values in their classrooms.

Recalling the legacies of eminent figures like Rabindranath Tagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, and ONV Kurup, the Minister noted that true teachers encourage questioning, foster the spirit of debate, and exemplify large-heartedness and humanity.