Row sparks as Kerala governor asks varsities to observe ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’

Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s directive to universities in the state to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day has sparked controversy.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the governor’s circular to vice chancellors, calling it unconstitutional and unacceptable. He asserted that Kerala would not permit its campuses to be turned into stages for the Sangh Parivar divisive agenda.

The chief minister also remarked that the Sangh Parivar — a collective of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — had played no role in the freedom struggle and had served the British Raj. He alleged that the group was now attempting to undermine Independence Day by advancing a divisive narrative, Scroll.in reported.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised the move to observe August 14 as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” in educational institutions, calling it an attempt to undermine the significance of India’s Independence Day.

In a statement, Vijayan said that August 15 is not only a celebration of freedom but also a reminder of the anti-imperialist struggle and the brutalities inflicted by the British. He alleged that the idea of marking another day close to Independence Day originates from the Sangh Parivar’s agenda which, he said, had no role in the freedom movement and had instead served the British Raj.

The Chief Minister accused such groups of having spent their energies during the freedom struggle not against foreign rulers but against so-called “internal enemies.” He described the call to mark a Partition remembrance day as an attempt to diminish the importance of Independence Day.

Vijayan further alleged that the Sangh Parivar’s political lineage includes those who had met the British Viceroy to express loyalty to the Raj, and who had distanced themselves from the united national movement that brought together people of all faiths and communities. He added that these groups were now ignoring the historical reality that Partition and the subsequent violence were outcomes of the British “divide and rule” policy.

Recalling that members of such groups had ridiculed Mahatma Gandhi during his efforts to quell Partition violence, Vijayan accused them of continuing the same divisive politics.

Terming the Raj Bhavan’s directives unconstitutional, the Chief Minister condemned the governor’s circular to vice-chancellors, instructing them to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. He asserted that Kerala’s universities would not be allowed to be used as platforms for what he described as such a political agenda.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the ideological parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan also condemned Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s directive, calling it unconstitutional, according to Mathrubhumi.

He alleged that by issuing such an order while holding a constitutional position, the governor was openly signalling that he is still aligned with the RSS’s divisive politics.

As per The Indian Express, the governor’s circular to vice chancellors stated that August 14, the day before Independence Day, had been declared as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, and suggested that educational institutions could organise seminars to mark the occasion.

The governor, in his capacity, is the ex-officio chancellor of all universities in Kerala.

The governor’s circular also suggested that universities could prepare stage plays to take to the public, depicting the horrors of Partition.

According to The Indian Express, the order followed a 2022 University Grants Commission directive instructing colleges and universities to organise public exhibitions around August 14. These displays were intended to highlight the immense suffering endured during Partition and were to be set up in public spaces to ensure maximum community participation.

The UGC’s 2022 instructions were based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2021 announcement that August 14 would be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

The Partition of 1947, which split British-ruled India into India and Pakistan, forced millions from their homes, unleashed widespread communal violence, and saw the abduction and sexual assault of countless women. Historical estimates suggest that at least 10 lakh people lost their lives during the period.