Jadavpur University, a flashpoint for controversy, is yet again in the news over its brazen duplicity in banning the Ram Navami celebrations just days after allowing Muslims to observe Iftar, a report published in Organiser said. The Ram Navami celebrations were banned citing the Vice Chancellor’s absence.
“In the absence of a Vice Chancellor, it is impossible to grant permission,” the university stated. The decision follows the removal of interim VC Bhaskar Gupta by Governor CV Ananda Bose over campus violence and alleged insubordination.
The latest stricture is yet another demonstration of selective secularism, with Hindus asked to take the rap for offence their celebrations cause to others. It is in line with the blame that often lands on the feet of Hindus for taking processions from “Muslim areas” after such processions face stone-pelting and violence from Muslim mobs offended at the brazen celebration of idolatry, proscribed by Islamic scriptures.
Hindu student groups, including the Hindu Students’ Union, called the decision “selective appeasement.” Organizer Somsurya Banerjee declared, “We won’t back down. If Iftar can happen here, why not Ram Navami? We are ready to take legal action if needed.”
The standoff has escalated tensions with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), which has openly vowed to block the celebration. “The ABVP is behind this. We won’t let them spread hooliganism on campus,” said an SFI member.
Hindu students accuse leftist groups of hypocrisy: “They preach inclusivity but suppress Hindu festivals,” a student leader said.
ABVP’s West Bengal state president, Santanu Singha, called for mass protests, branding the university a “leftist fortress more focused on anarchy than academics.”
This isn’t the first time Ram Navami has been blocked at JU. In 2024, permission was granted and then abruptly revoked under pressure from protesting left-wing students. The administration cited communal tension and alleged fraudulent applications as reasons.
With both sides digging in, the campus now stands at the heart of a deepening ideological and religious fault line.
