THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Signalling another showdown with Governor Rajendra Arlekar, the state government has instructed colleges not to implement the Raj Bhavan’s directive to observe ‘Partition Horror Day’ on August 14.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday that the state government was against observance of ‘Partition Horror Day’ on campuses across the state on the eve of Independence Day as it would lead to “communal polarisation”.
Bindu said the government has instructed the Director of Collegiate Education and the Director of Technical Education under the Higher Education department to convey the government’s decision to colleges under their respective jurisdiction.
In a circular issued by the Raj Bhavan last week, universities were asked to organise seminars and commemorative events, including street plays and dramas that highlight the “trauma” of India’s partition.
It directed V-Cs to submit action plans for the observance. The government’s intervention came after a few universities, such as APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, issued directions to its affiliated colleges to conduct the programmes as directed by the governor.
Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources chose not to react to the government’s directive. “We have never mentioned that the observance of the event is compulsory,” said a source. However, the Raj Bhavan had sent a reminder to the V-Cs about the programme.
‘It was a directive by MHA, not guv’s call’
Sources close to Raj Bhavan termed as malicious the attempts to portray the directive as a decision taken by the governor. “Based on a directive by the Union Home Minister, the governor -- who is also the chancellor of universities -- had on July 11 asked VCs to observe ‘Partition Horror Day’ on August 14. It was a directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and not a decision taken by the governor,” sources said.
Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an appeal four years ago to observe August 14 as ‘Partition Horror Remembrance Day’, it was for the first time that state universities were directed to carry out its observance.
Earlier, a Raj Bhavan directive asking universities to observe the anniversary of the Emergency on June 25 as ‘Constitution Assassination Day’ had led to high drama at University of Kerala over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait at the venue.
Min: Move will lead to communal polarisation’
Minister R Bindu said government was against observance of ‘Partition Horror Day’ on campuses on the eve of Independence Day as it would lead to “communal polarisation”.