Kannur
University in Kerala on Friday dismissed allegations that  raised by opposition student unions included
the inclusion of RSS ideologues in their postgraduate courses and set up an
external team to review the controversial syllabus.

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The
two-member committee, which includes experts outside of varsity, was asked to
submit a report within five days and another decision on the syllabus would be
made thereafter, said University Vice-Chancellor Gopinath Ravindran. Kannur
University has been witnessing intense student union protests since Thursday
against its decision to include portions of RSS leader MS Golwalkar and Hindu
Mahasabha leader VD Savarkar in its Post Graduate studies.

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“The
allegations of saffronisation are completely baseless. If you raise these
allegations about Kannur University, you can raise the same charges at
Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi as well. V D Savarkar is also included
in the JNU syallabus,” he told reporters. The inclusion of Savarkar and
Golwalkar in the syllabus should not be taken as part of a saffronisation move,
Vice Chancellor, who has faced major protests by student unions over the issue,
said.

“When the portions of the their texts are included in the syllabus, there
should also be texts of those representing other ideologies which would help
the students compare both and develop the skill of critical inquiry. That is
missing here which is a drawback I feel in this syllabus,” Mr Ravindran
explained.

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When asked
if the Minister of Higher Education, R Bindhu, wanted an explanation from him,
the vice-chancellor said he had sent a response to the government. The Minister
told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that it was dangerous for public content
to be found in the curriculum.

Although the
university ‘Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the ruling student body CPI
(M), did not initially oppose the syllabus, President Sachin Dev on Friday said
the dress contradicted the current syllabus and its inclusion of RSS
idealogues’. “unacceptable”. Earlier in the day, Youth Congress
activists blocked the vice-chancellor’s car at the university campus and did
not allow him to enter the office demanding the withdrawal of controversial
parts from the syllabus.

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According to
the unions, the University has included excerpts from Golwalkar’s publications
including “Bunch of Thoughts” and “Hindutva: Savishar: Who Is
Hindu?” in a syllabus for a third semester student of MA Governance and
Politics students. The syllabus was not prepared by the Academic Board but was
made by teachers at Thalassery Brennen College and decided by the Vice
Chancellor.

MA and
Political Management is taught only at Brennen College under Kannur University.