Kerala University Under Fire Over Pahalgam Seminar Cancellation, Sparks Free Speech Controversy

Tensions are running high at Kerala University following the cancellation of a seminar hosted by the Department of Tamil, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, cancelled the May 9 event on grounds that the subject and material presented in relation to it were "anti-national."

The row broke out when a PhD researcher posted an article from a Tamil language website in a departmental WhatsApp group, according to The Hindu. The piece, "Pahalgam Attack: Truths Drowned in Nationalist Frenzy," critically analyzed the event and hinted at political agenda in the way it was depicted—most notably amidst national polls.

Although the event had been cancelled, no disciplinary measure was said to have been imposed on either the scholar or the Head of the Tamil Department. The scholar merely received a memo for which he later apologized, prompting the department to remove the controversial subject matter from the agenda of the seminar.

But the matter has since escalated into a political hot button. The Students Federation of India (SFI) has criticized the Vice-Chancellor's action, accusing him of promoting an agenda of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the guise of administrative impartiality.

Things escalated at a recent University Syndicate meeting, where Left-leaning members accused the VC of misrepresenting the scholar's intention, according to India Today. They pointed out that the article was posted prior to the start of Operation Sindoor counter-terror operation, questioning the basis for calling the seminar anti-national. BJP members in the syndicate defended the VC's action, citing it as a necessary measure to maintain national sentiment.

The campus community continues to be polarized with arguments ongoing about academic freedom, political interference in universities and limits of debate in sensitive national issues.