CPM braces for a second big showdown with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

In November 2022, after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan sought the resignation of 11 vice-chancellors of various universities in Kerala, the CPM staged a mass gathering in front of the Raj Bhavan, the Governor's residence, in protest against what it called the "saffronisation of higher education."

Now, two years later, with the Governor cranking up the provocation, the CPM is thinking of mounting a grander, more comprehensive agitation against the Governor. This time, the CPM is poised for a larger political battle, not limiting the fight to opposing just the "saffronisation of higher education." CPM state secretary M V Govindan, on Friday, November 29, framed the Governor's action as a threat to the "secular fabric of India."

At the moment, the details of the anti-Governor agitation are vague. Only the pugnacious intent is there. "The party feels that universities, colleges, its students, teachers and staff and everyone who holds secular values dear should be mobilised and lined up to oppose the devious designs of the Governor," Govindan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram." An ideological pushback is inevitable. A powerful agitation will be organised across Kerala," Govindan said.

The immediate provocation is the Chancellor's decision to toss aside the LDF government's recommendations and appoint K Sivaprasad and Ciza Thomas, names the CPM considers offensive, as interim vice-chancellors of A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology respectively.

"By these new appointments, the Governor has challenged all established Constitutional norms and has crossed all limits," Govindan said. "The interim VC for the KTU was appointed less than 24 hours after the High Court ordered that the candidate should be chosen from the list provided by the government. The governor's move to defy the court order and arbitrarily pick a VC of his choice is a very serious issue," Govindan said.

The CPM state secretary said the Governor behaved as if he did not care two hoots about court verdicts. Govindan said there were nine verdicts against the governor in the nearly five years of his tenure.

He listed all of them. One, the verdict against the Governor for removing 11 VCs. Two, the HC order that said the appointment of Ciza Thomas as KTU VC was against rules. Three, stay on the decision to oust Kerala University senate members. Four, the HC verdict cancelling the search committee the Governor formed to choose a VC. Five, adverse remarks of the SC for sitting on the bills passed by the Kerala Assembly.

Six, the HC decision to scrap the Governor's decision to nominate four ABVP members as student representatives of the Kerala University senate. Seven, the cancellation of search committees appointed by the Governor for six universities. Eight, the nullification of three more search committees formed by the Governor. Nine, the court decided to stay with the search committee formed for KTU.

Govindan said the new appointments were made for the Sangh Parivar. "This is part of the Sangh Parivar agenda to saffronise higher education in Kerala," he said. As proof, he said the KTU interim VC took charge after genuflecting before the photograph of M S Golwalkar, the man behind the RSS ideology. "Just imagine a VC who bows before the man who vouched for a theocracy in a country that practices secularism. It was only recently the Supreme Court once again affirmed the secular nature of our country," Govindan said.

The CPM leader said he was curious about the UDF's stand on this. "Earlier, the Governor used to nominate UDF members along with Sangh Parivar loyalists in crucial positions. Now, the Governor has limited his choices strictly to the RSS and Sangh Parivar," Govindan said. "I would like to know what the UDF thinks about the Governor’s actions," he said.