Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday, March 22, criticised a banner displayed by the Students Federation of India (SFI) at the University of Calicut that was critical of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
The Governor, who also serves as the Chancellor of state universities, was attending a Senate meeting at the university when he took issue with the banner, which read, "We need a Chancellor, not Savarkar." Originally put up by SFI activists during protests against former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the banner drew a sharp response from Arlekar.
“I was just reading a banner there now. Was Savarkar an enemy of this country? The Chancellor is here with you. You do whatever you want to do with the Chancellor. But what bad things has Savarkar done? He always thought of others, never of his own family,” Arlekar said. He added that while he had not planned to discuss Savarkar, the banner had compelled him to respond.
The Governor also urged the Vice-Chancellor to take action, stating, “This politicising of the education system and educational institutions should not be tolerated.”
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] reacted cautiously to the Governor’s criticism. While opposing his remarks, the party refrained from making a strong statement.
Party state secretary MV Govindan dismissed Savarkar’s contributions to the freedom struggle, saying, “Savarkar had two phases. In his early years, he was part of the Independence movement and was sent to Andaman jail. But later, he wrote six apology letters to the British and became a sympathiser of the colonial government.”
Meanwhile, CPI(M) veteran EP Jayarajan took a neutral stance, stating, “People have their own opinions. The Governor expressed his. Usually, the RSS and BJP admire Savarkar. He was the one who sent apology letters to the British, but opinions about him differ.”