In Teachers’ Day post, Keralam Higher Education Minister takes a dig at V-Cs attending RSS events

Keralam Minister for Higher Education Roji M John on Saturday (September 5, 2026) took an apparent dig at Vice-Chancellors for attending events organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by stating that it is “unbecoming of heads of higher educational institutions to reduce themselves to the platforms of organisations that propagate divisive agenda in society.”

In his message on the occasion of Teachers’ Day posted online, he reminded the heads of institutions not to forget the dignity of the office they are holding. “Such tendencies, which surrender the privilege of academic autonomy before narrow political interests, question the essence of education and teaching. The institutions of higher educations are meant to be the seats of free thought and constitutional values,” he said.

No names mentioned

Though he did not mention any name in his post, the Minister was referring to multiple occasions in which a few Vice-Chancellors of the State universities had invited sharp criticism for attending events organised by the RSS. Kerala University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal, Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mavoothu D. and Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University Vice-Chancellor in-charge C.R. Prasad had attended a programme attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Thiruvananthapuram on June 13, 2026. Mr. Kunnummal participated in another event organised by the RSS in Thiruvananthapuram on August 15, 2026.

Kerala Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor in-charge T. Sajitha Rani courted fresh controversy after she inaugurated a Shobhayatra organised by Balagokulam in Thrissur on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Urging the teachers to “hold each generation without any discrimination”, the Minister alleged that those who subjected a student to casteist slur inside a staff room failed to understand the real essence of teaching.

(He was referring to the death of R.L. Nithin Raj, 22, a first-year BDS student at Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy, Kannur, on April 10, 2026 following allegations of caste-based harassment by faculty members.)

Mr. John said that such teachers “failed to realise” that their responsibility is to mould people with humanitarian values from classrooms.

He recalled the names of Rabindranath Tagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, Sukumar Azhikode, ONV Kurup, MGS Narayanan, M Leelavathi as examples of stalwarts who always encouraged learners to ask questions and instilled the spirit to argue and correct themselves. They also taught the importance of large-heartedness and humanity, he said.