Students’ organisations oppose UGC order to celebrate Datta Didolkar’s birth anniversary

UGC secretary Manish Joshi on November 30, 2023 issued a circular to all vice-chancellors of all universities and principals of all colleges in Maharashtra state

After the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a circular to all colleges in Maharashtra, directing them to celebrate the birth anniversary year of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Pracharak and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) co-founder, Datta Didolkar, various students’ organisations and students’ political wings in the state have strongly opposed the move.

Students’ unions and organisations from across the state have taken strong objection to the circular. (HT PHOTO)

UGC secretary Manish Joshi on November 30, 2023 issued a circular to all vice-chancellors of all universities and principals of all colleges in Maharashtra state. “Honourable late Dattaji Didolkar is an inspiration for thousands of students and youths of India. He was the founder of many social and other organisations. This year is his birth centenary year. In this regard, it is informed that from August 7, 2023 to August 7, 2024, various programmes have been planned to celebrate the birth centenary year of Shri Dattaji Didolkar.”

“The higher education institutions in the state of Maharashtra are requested to encourage the youth and students to participate in the programmes to celebrate the birth centenary year of Shri Dattaji Didolkar,” the circular said.

Whereas students’ unions and organisations from across the state have taken strong objection to it. “Didolkar was a campaigner of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and one of the founders of the ABVP, so this decision of the UGC is opposed by the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress. It is a very shocking and wrong decision as UGC is an autonomous body. It should be entirely up to the students to decide which ideology they want to go with,” said Akshay Jain, chairman of the Maharashtra State Youth Congress (media cell).

“The ABVP should celebrate Didolkar’s birth anniversary year; it is their personal matter. But in this way, the Bharatiya Janata Party and state and central governments should not try to impose their views on students by bringing politics into colleges and universities. As Youth Congress, we are going to strongly oppose this decision at the state level,” Jain said.

Similarly, the Yuva Sena student wing of the Shiv Sena of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) also questioned the UGC directive. A statement issued by the Yuva Sena read, “If BJP or RSS wants to celebrate Didolkar’s birth anniversary on a grand scale, they should organise private programmes. It is not right to make it mandatory for students across the state to participate in celebrations.”