India

Opposition Leader Accuses Kerala Govt of Unqualified KCHR Chair Appointment

By PTI

Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, condemned the state government’s appointment of Vinodkumar Kallolickal, a professor at Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam, as chairperson of the Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR). Vijayan said the selection was “highly condemnable” and that names recommended by the search committee were arbitrarily removed, leading to the appointment of a person not considered by the panel. He alleged that the appointment was made after direct intervention by the Principal Secretary of Higher Education, B. Ashok, who was suspended by the previous LDF administration in April for public criticism of government policies. The government and the concerned minister have not responded to the allegations. Vijayan also noted that professors Sanal Mohan and Dr V. J. Varghese, members of the search committee, submitted dissent notes to the government, and that eminent historians Janaki Nair, Lakshmi Subramanian and Manu V. Devadevan resigned from the KCHR executive committee. He claimed the RSS is attempting to “saffronise” the Indian Council of Historical Research and that a similar agenda is now being pursued in Kerala under the UDF government. Vijayan demanded an immediate review of the decision to install an allegedly unqualified person as KCHR chair, stating that Kerala will resist moves that could damage the state’s higher education sector and historical research institutions.