Hyderabad: The Maulana Azad National Urdu University’s (MANUU) student Union on Saturday, January 20, has expressed its denouncement at the central government’s decision to mandate a half-day closure of public institutions during the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony on January 22.
In an official statement issued on Saturday, the student body alleged that the decision was a “blatant attempt to infiltrate and saffronize public institutions, and more specifically, university places.”
“This move is not only a setback to the secular ethos that India cherishes but also poses a significant threat to the democratic and secular principles upheld within the Indian constitution,” the statement read.
Alleging that the attempt is aimed at transforming India into a “Hindu Rashtra,” the union said that the RSS-led BJP government “is deepening its roots and taking control over the educational institutions, imposing religious observances upon them, and eroding the very idea of India.”
Further, the union expressed “concern” over the belief that “Hindutva ideology was encroaching on the decision-making process of educational institutions.”
The statement further said “The sanctity of academic institutions lies in fostering autonomy, freedom of thought, tolerance, and a pluralistic approach to education. Any attempt to politicize or align these spaces with Hindutva ideology is a threat to the idea of the university.”
The union urged the university administration to endorse diversity principles, inclusivity, and academic freedom.
Entreating the larger communities to participate in the resistance, they further said, “We call upon the larger student community, faculty, and concerned citizens to join hands in resisting any undue influence that seeks to compromise the secular fabric of our educational institutions.”
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Arsalan Nazir | 
