Bengaluru: The Karnatak University in Dharwad (KU-D) in north Karnataka has put off its convocation scheduled for March 4, after student groups threatened to protest the invitation to Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar for the convocation address.
Kumar’s office, too, has informed the KU-D that he may not come for the event as he has pressing commitments in Delhi.
This calling-off of the convocation – though Kumar had earlier agreed to address the convocation – comes in the wake of calls to protest his visit by groups such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation. These organisations held protests at the branch campuses of the KU in Haveri and Gadag two days back.
A meeting was also held on Wednesday in which it was decided that activists will wear black clothes and hold a protest march when the JNU VC comes to Dharwad.
“We were against having a guest like him (Jagadesh Kumar) as he is anti-democracy and anti-student organisations. He has a role in destroying independent-thinking in universities. He has destroyed the academic atmosphere in the JNU. What is the message we send out if we invite him to our University,” said Basavaraj Sulibhavi, an activist who was part of the protests.
The university put out a notice citing 'inevitable reasons' to postpone the convocation.
“Ideally, events like a convocation should not be postponed like this, but the JNU VC’s office said it would be difficult for him to come as there were issues to be sorted out in Delhi. The Governor (who is also Chancellor of the University) had earlier informed he won’t be coming too. So we discussed with the minister and he asked us to postpone this. We will take a call in 10 to 15 days as to when we should hold the convocation,” KU Vice-Chancellor Dr Pramod Gai told News18.
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