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Centre using Raj Bhavan to destroy higher education sector in Kerala: Yechury
Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan said in New Delhi that the protests were democratic, but nobody can threaten or intimidate him with such actions
Thousands of workers from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) marched to the Raj Bhavan in Kerala on Tuesday, raising slogans against governor Arif Mohammad Khan and accusing him of ‘destroying’ the higher education sector.
Inaugurating the five-hour blockade, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that ‘Sangh Parivar’ outfits were using the office of the governor to impose their ideology in varsities. Higher education institutions stand for scientific temperament, humanism and tolerance but these are not suited to turn the country into a monolithic ‘Hindu rashtra’ so that saffron forces target them by using the Raj Bhavan, he claimed.
“In a ‘Hindu rashtra’, there is no place for scientific temperament and free thinking. That is why Sangh Parivar forces are targeting institutes of higher education throughout the country,” Yechury said, adding this was how the Nazis converted Germany. “Hitler destroyed reasoning and rationality in public discourse. Everything was reduced to blind faith and personality cult. This is what PM Modi is doing by unleashing an assault on the higher education sector,” he said.
He said the Union government brought the national educational policy (NEP) without any consultation with states. Through NEP, the government is trying to condition the mindset of youngsters and the policy is an infringement on the rights of states, the CPI(M) leader alleged.
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“Now in all matters concerning education, the Centre bypasses states and is the sole decision-maker. Education falls under the concurrent list and states have equal rights as the Centre in deciding educational policies,” he said, adding that the protest is not against any individual but a “corrupt system”.
Meanwhile, Khan said in New Delhi that the protests were democratic, but nobody can threaten or intimidate him with such actions.
“If they think that I can be pressurised or threatened, they are mistaken. I only questioned illegal appointments and nepotism in universities. That is what the apex court and HC upheld recently. All are bound to go by the law of the land,” governor Khan said, adding that he will take a decision on the ordinance on varsities once he returns from Delhi.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet members kept out of the Raj Bhavan blockade and LDF convenor EP Jayarayan said it was done to uphold “propriety”. The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, which opened battle lines with governor RN Ravi, sent senior leader Tiruchi Sivam MP for the rally. The massive rally resulted in traffic snarls at many places in the state capital and organisers said more than 100,000 people participated in it.
The Kerala high court issued a direction to the chief secretary to examine the compliant of BJP state president K Surendran that government employees and beneficiaries of MNREGA employment scheme were forced to attend the rally by the ruling party.
He also sought action against government employees who participated in the blockade of Raj Bhavan. Opposition leader VD Satheesan said the protest outside the Raj Bhavan blamed both the governor and the government ‘for the mess in varsities’.
