BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: The dust over Ravenshaw University’s name change row refuses to settle. Alumni members of the erstwhile Ravenshaw college and intelligentsia on Friday formed ‘Ravenshaw Heritage Forum’ to protest the name change proposal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan under their campaign ‘Save Ravenshaw Legacy’.
The forum comprises 25 members including Padma Shri Devi Prasanna Patnaik, Padma Bhushan Dr Pratibha Ray, Sanjeeb Hota, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Prof Binayak Rath among others as its advisors.
At a round table meeting convened in the state capital on the issue, members of the forum said they will fight any decision to rename the prestigious university. Presiding over the meeting, former DGP AB Tripathy said since the minister had asked Odia people to discuss the issue and take a call, the forum members decided that such a proposal will not be accepted at any cost.
In the ensuing days, the members decided to conduct signature campaigns, produce documents regarding TE Ravenshaw’s contribution to giving modern education in Odisha a push and hold meetings on the issue. “Ravenshaw is not a name, it is a part of Cuttack’s history and culture. Why should it be changed? We want the Union minister to put an end to this controversy and stop the tension on the campus from flaring up,” Tripathy said.
A book containing the history of Ravenshaw University will be published soon to counter the attempt to distort the history, he said.
Meanwhile, the protests at Ravenshaw University over the controversy reached the local police station. Two separate cases were registered in Malgodown police station on the basis of FIRs filed by two students of the university.
Acting on the FIR of Shyam Sundar Sahu, a research scholar of the university, a case was registered against Chandabali MLA Byomakesh Ray, BJD spokesperson Lelin Mohanty, Bobby Khan and others under sections 126(2), 115(2), 296, 351, 3(5) of BNS and section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. Similarly, another case was registered against a group of 10 students under sections 126(2), 115(2), 296, 351, 3(5) of BNS basing on the FIR of student Siddhartha Sarangi.
Malgodown IIC Rajanikant Dash said, “Investigation in both the cases is underway. We are questioning the witnesses to verify the veracity of the allegations. Necessary action will be taken after investigation.”