ABVP holds Partition Horrors Day in Kerala despite opposition from state govt

Following a directive from Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, observed Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in several colleges in Kerala on Thursday.

Reports say ‘Partition Horror Day’ was observed at Kerala Central University, Kasargod, the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) College at Kumbala, Government College Kasaragod, Govinda Pai Memorial Government College Manjeshwar, Chendayad MG College in Kannur and Velu Thampi Memorial NSS College (VTM NSS) in Thiruvananthapuram under the aegis of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.

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The observance of the event at government college, Kasaragod on Thursday, triggered clashes between the CPI-M-backed Students Federation of India (SFI) and ABVP workers. As the ABVP observed Partition Horror Day by putting up posters about the day at government college Kasaragod, SFI activists turned up in bigger numbers to oppose it. Consequently, both groups clashed with each other and the posters put up by the ABVP were torn down.

Later, ABVP students reinstalled the posters on the college notice board leading to protests by Muslim Students Federation (MSF) activists, affiliated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Police formed a barrier between the groups as slogans were raised.

The Kerala government had, on Wednesday , instructed colleges in the state against implementing Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s directive to observe August 14 as ‘Partition Horror Day’.

Exercising his role as Chancellor of the state’s universities, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar last week directed the state-run universities to observe ‘Partition Horror Day’ on August 14.

An official email from Kerala Raj Bhavan last week instructed universities to organise seminars and commemorative events, including street plays and dramas highlighting “the trauma of India’s partition”. It has been reported that the governor’s directive is in accordance with the Central government’s initiative launched in 2021, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the other day had strongly criticised the Governor’s directive to universities to observe Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. He said those who mocked Mahatma Gandhi when he tried to quell riots during India’s partition are the same elements pushing this agenda. Issuing directives from Raj Bhavan to implement the political agenda of the Sangh Parivar is unconstitutional.