Over 50 prominent historians and academics have issued a statement deploring the “false, defamatory and politically motivated campaign” against Kannur University Vice Chancellor Gopinath Ravindran by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Taking umbrage at Mr. Khan branding Prof. Ravindran a criminal, the academics who pledged solidarity with the embattled Vice Chancellor, demanded an end to the alleged harassment.
The statement, whose signatories include Romila Thapar, K.N. Panikkar, Prabhu Prasad Mohapatra, Kesavan Veluthat, Prabhat Patnaik, Neeladri Bhattacharya, R.P. Bahuguna, Zoya Hasan and C.P. Chandrasekhar, credited Prof. Ravindran with leading Kannur University with distinction.
One of the country’s leading historians, Prof. Ravindran has specialised in the agrarian history of Kerala and historical demography. He was Head of the Department of History and Culture at Jamia Millia Islamia Central University; Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Historical Research; and Director of the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia.
“The Governor has, on earlier occasions, questioned the reappointment of Prof. Ravindran as Vice Chancellor in press statements. The High Court, however, dismissed a writ petition that sought to remove Prof. Ravindran from the post,” the academics pointed out.
