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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, observed Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in several Kerala colleges on Thursday, August 14, following a directive from Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Events were held at Kerala Central University in Kasaragod, Government College Kasaragod, Govinda Pai Memorial Government College Manjeswaram, and Velu Thampi Memorial NSS College (VTM NSS) in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Governor’s circular, issued on August 11, instructed universities to hold seminars and performances depicting the violence, displacement, and suffering during the 1947 Partition, and to submit action plans to the Raj Bhavan.
ABVP’s move came despite opposition from the state government. Higher Education Minister R Bindu told reporters on August 13 that the government opposed observing the day on campuses, warning that it could cause “communal polarisation.”
“The government’s opinion is not to observe this day. The Higher Education Department will inform the universities. Our universities and colleges are where students from different communities study. Until now we have held high humanitarian values. We are of the stand that campuses should be places of secularism… The Partition Horrors Day has never been celebrated earlier, such an event will only lead to societal divide,” Bindu said.
ABVP’s state committee said it intended to mark the day in campuses across all districts, especially where it has a strong presence. Student outfits SFI and KSU declared they would resist such programmes.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan called the Governor’s order “unconstitutional,” alleging that it reflected “the divisive policies of the RSS.” He urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to “directly let the Governor know of the resistance of Kerala and its people towards this decision.”
Education Minister V Sivankutty labelled it an “RSS-backed programme” and “clear encroachment” on the state’s authority. CM Vijayan said, “August 15 is a reminder of India’s anti-imperialist struggle… The Governor’s directive… is unconstitutional and unacceptable. Kerala will never allow its campuses to be turned into stages for their divisive agenda.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi first declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in 2021, with the stated aim of promoting unity and social harmony. The University Grants Commission (UGC) urged universities in 2022 to mark the day with exhibitions.
The row deepens the ongoing tensions between the Kerala Governor and the Left-led state government over higher education policy.