The Governor’s call to observe 14 August as Partition Horror Remembrance Day has triggered a mixed and, at times, chaotic response from Kerala’s universities.
Published Aug 13, 2025 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 14, 2025 | 8:31 AM
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Synopsis: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, associated with the RSS since his childhood, has stirred yet another controversy with a directive asking all universities in the state to hold the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on 14 August.
A fresh campus flashpoint has erupted in Kerala, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s directive to mark Partition Horrors Remembrance Day triggering a political storm and student unrest.
For the first time since the observance was introduced in 2021, state-run universities have been told to stage seminars, street plays, and commemorations on Thursday, 14 August, to recall the ‘trauma of India’s partition’ — a move swiftly condemned by the CPI(M) and Congress, and fiercely opposed by student outfits like the SFI and KSU, who have vowed to block any such events.
It was last week that the instruction from the Raj Bhavan asking universities to organise seminars, commemorative events, and street plays to depict “the trauma of India’s partition” became public.
Vice-Chancellors were also asked to submit action plans for the observance.
“They can prepare dramas to take to the people, showing how terrible the partition was,” the message read.
The directive aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2021 announcement that 14 August would be marked annually in memory of those who lost their lives or were displaced during the partition.
“Partition’s pains can never be forgotten… Millions were uprooted and many killed due to mindless hate and violence,” Modi had said when launching the commemoration.
However, this is the first time Kerala’s universities have received formal instructions to observe the day. The Governor, in his capacity as the Chancellor, directed all 14 state-run universities to observe the day.
It comes just months after a similar Raj Bhavan directive—asking universities to mark 25 June, the anniversary of the Emergency, as Constitution Assassination Day—drew widespread criticism.
Political parties, including the CPI(M) and the Congress, have consistently opposed the Partition Horrors Day observance.
They allege it is a politically motivated move by the BJP and Sangh Parivar to push a divisive communal agenda, overshadowing Independence Day celebrations on August 15, and to selectively interpret history.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has earlier called it an attempt to exploit a national tragedy for “current political battles,” urging that sacrifices be remembered without distorting the spirit of unity.
The state government and the Opposition have strongly opposed the Governor’s directive to universities, asking them to observe August 14 as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the move as a “Sangh Parivar-inspired attempt” to undermine India’s Independence Day.
He said August 15 symbolises the anti-imperialist struggle and the sacrifices of people from all walks of life against British rule, while those now pushing for another day of commemoration had “no role in the freedom struggle” and instead served the British Raj.
“These are the same forces that once assured the British Viceroy of their loyalty and ignored the fight for independence. They now seek to revive the fear of Partition as a tool to downplay Independence Day,” the chief minister said, calling the Governor’s action unconstitutional and warning that Kerala’s universities will not be used to advance divisive political agendas.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan echoed the criticism, declaring that the Governor’s circular “will not be implemented in Kerala under any circumstances.”
He accused Arlekar of acting as a “parallel government” and attempting to infuse the politics of Partition into Kerala’s secular society.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty questioned the Governor’s authority to issue such a directive, warning that Kerala’s campuses would not be turned into conflict zones.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu described the order as part of the RSS’s “divisive and communal agenda,” aimed at sowing hatred under the guise of remembrance.
“This is an attempt to inject sectarian ideologies into campuses and create rifts among students,” she said, urging the academic community to resist any efforts to enforce the circular.
On Wednesday, Bindu said the state government has directed colleges and technical institutions not to host any programmes as part of the day. Speaking to the media, she said official instructions had been issued through the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of Technical Education.
“The government believes such events should not be held on campuses as they risk turning into platforms for religious hatred and social division, which go against the principles of the State’s educational policy,” she said.
The state government has made it clear: Kerala will not allow its universities to become platforms for communal politics.
The Governor’s call to observe 14 August as Partition Horror Remembrance Day has triggered a mixed and, at times, chaotic response from Kerala’s universities.
Acting on a circular from the Raj Bhavan, the Vice-Chancellors of Kerala University, Kannur University, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) instructed their affiliated colleges to mark the day with seminars, plays, and poster-making events.
Colleges were also asked to submit their action plans for the observance.
But at the University of Kerala, the directive soon spiralled into a controversy.
Hours after sending the first communication, the University’s Director in charge of the College Development Council (CDC), Prof Biju V, issued a second circular advising principals to seek the consent of “appropriate authorities” before implementing the Governor’s instructions.
The revised note cited calls and emails from colleges highlighting the state government’s publicly stated opposition to the observance.
The second circular — allegedly issued without the approval of Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal — led to Prof Biju’s resignation from the additional post.
Despite the friction, most Vice-Chancellors, many serving on an ad hoc basis under the Governor’s appointments, pushed the directive forward.
Kannur University, KTU, and CUSAT continued preparations and passed instructions to registrars for follow-up.
Meanwhile, campus politics added fuel to the fire.
The Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) announced plans to block any related programmes, with SFI also promising symbolic protests against Governor Arlekar, who is the Chancellor of state-run universities, and the Vice-Chancellors of Kerala and Kannur universities.
What began as an administrative instruction has thus exposed sharp rifts — between the Governor’s office and the state government, and within universities themselves — over whether and how Partition Horror Remembrance Day should be marked in Kerala’s campuses.
Since 2021, available records show that observance of the day in Kerala has been largely limited to central government organisations, public sector entities, and centrally affiliated educational institutions, with no evidence of state government involvement.
Events have included exhibitions, webinars, and reviews, such as those by the National Skill Training Institute for Women (2022), Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bureau of Communication, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, and Press Information Bureau (2023), as well as IGNOU, IISER, and the Kerala Postal Circle (2024), indicating that commemorations in the state have been primarily driven by central directives.
The Governor’s directive has turned Partition Horrors Remembrance Day into Kerala’s latest flashpoint, deepening the standoff between Raj Bhavan and the state government, dividing university administrations, and setting the stage for campus confrontations.
With the day falling on Thursday, all eyes are now on campuses — where some Vice-Chancellors have instructed colleges to observe it, while student outfits have vowed to block any such events — fuelling an atmosphere of palpable tension.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
