The Kerala government and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar are at daggers drawn all over again after the ‘saffron flag-holding Bharat Mata’ row, with Mr. Arlekar directing State-run universities to observe ‘Partition horror day’ on August 14.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the directive ‘unconstitutional and unacceptable’. “The Sangh Parivar, which had no role in the freedom movement and served the British Raj, is now seeking to undermine Independence Day by calling for the creation of a day to remember the horrors of Partition. They conveniently forget the fact that Partition and the riots thereafter were a fallout of the British ‘divide and rule’ policy. The Raj Bhavan’s stance in line with the divisive political agenda of the Sangh Parivar is unconstitutional. Our universities will not be allowed to be used as platforms for implementing such an agenda,” Mr. Vijayan said in a statement.
Raj Bhavan had instructed universities last week to organise seminars and commemorative events, including street plays and dramas, highlighting “the trauma of India’s Partition.”
“They (the universities) can prepare dramas on this, which can be done by going to people and showing how terrible Partition was,” the message said.
The circular also directed Vice-Chancellors to submit action plans for the observance.
The directive echoes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call made four years ago to observe August 14 as ‘Partition horrors remembrance day’. However, this marks the first time universities in Kerala have received formal instructions to mark the occasion.
Notably, the move comes just months after a similar Raj Bhavan directive asking universities to observe the anniversary of the Emergency on June 25 as ‘Constitution assassination day’ drew sharp criticism from various quarters.
Although the Vice-Chancellors have not commented on the issue, the directive has drawn sharp reactions from various quarters.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty accused the Governor of attempting to run a parallel administration.
“The Governor has no constitutional power to instruct institutions to observe specific days. This is a clear overreach aimed at overriding the elected government,” he said.
Calling the move politically motivated, Mr. Sivankutty questioned the intent behind the observance. “Which Partition is he referring to? The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which had no role in the freedom struggle, has worked to divide society. The Governor appears to be echoing this ideology,” he alleged.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan also criticised the Governor’s actions, calling them “unconstitutional.”
“By doing so, the Governor is acting less like a constitutional head and more like a spokesperson for the divisive politics of the RSS. The Chief Minister must not remain silent on the Governor’s wayward actions. The government should officially register its protest,” Mr. Satheesan said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam described the Governor’s directive as ‘anti-national’, intended to “cover up their [the Sangh Parivar’s] sorrow over the collapse of British imperialism.”
Published – August 11, 2025 09:38 pm IST
