The students of Jadavpur University (JU) in West Bengal defied administrative orders and celebrated Ram Navami on campus for the first time in its 68-year history. The act, though deeply spiritual, has become a lightning rod for national discourse on religious freedom, administrative transparency, selective secularism, and ideological extremism in academia.
Despite clear and repeated denial of permission from the university administration — which cited the “absence of a Vice-Chancellor” as the reason — students organised a peaceful Ram Navami puja on April 6, placing an idol of Bhagwan Ram in front of the Technology Bhawan, chanting Hanuman Chalisa, decorating the area with saffron flags and the Indian tricolour, and replacing walls defaced with separatist graffiti with images of Sri Aurobindo and national symbols.
This act was not just an assertion of faith, but a bold rebuttal to the hypocrisy and ideological suppression long associated with JU — where ultra-left student unions have often been allowed to dominate the campus narrative, even while slogans such as “Azad Kashmir,” “Free Palestine,” and “Azad Manipur” have been painted across university walls without consequence.
The story began on March 28, when a group of students led by the General Students Union and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) submitted a formal request to the university administration to hold a Ram Navami celebration on campus. The administration responded by saying permission could not be granted due to the absence of a Vice-Chancellor.
However, students quickly pointed out the double standards. Somsurya Banerjee, one of the organisers, revealed that: “On April 3 and 4, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) organised a political event inside the campus — and they got permission — even though the VC was absent then too. Clearly, the excuse being used for Ram Navami was selective and discriminatory.”
To highlight the contradiction, the students sent an intimation to the Governor (Chancellor of the University) and an email to the police regarding the puja, asserting their democratic right to religious expression under the Indian Constitution.
“If Iftar is allowed, why not Ram Navami?”
Adding fuel to the fire of this administrative controversy was the recent permission granted by the university to host Iftar celebrations — a religious event observed by the Muslim community during Ramzan. While most students respected the Iftar initiative, they questioned why the same liberty was not extended to Hindu students.
“This is not about opposing Iftar. We attended and respected it. But why is Ram Navami — the birthday of Maryada Purushottam Ram — seen as a threat?” asked Nikhil Das, President of ABVP-JU.
Prominent voices outside the university also stepped in. Padma Shri awardee and Vice-Chancellor nominee, Kazi Masoom Akhtar, spoke candidly: “If we celebrate Saraswati Puja here, if we host Iftar, then denying Ram Navami is pure hypocrisy. If we truly believe in unity and secularism, every faith must be treated equally.”
Akhtar also condemned the administration’s inaction on anti-national graffiti, demanding to know why university walls featured “Azad Kashmir” slogans while celebrations of Bhagwan Ram were questioned.
The choice of location for the Ram Navami celebration was symbolic. The Technology Bhawan — situated near Gate 3, opposite a wall notorious for displaying graffiti supporting separatist movements and radical causes — became the centre of spiritual defiance.
Students covered the wall with images of Bhagwan Ram, Sri Aurobindo, and the Indian tricolour, erasing phrases like “Azad Kashmir”, “Free Palestine”, and “Azad Manipur”. “This is Rishi Aurobindo’s university. He was the first principal of National College, which later became Jadavpur University. Aurobindo dreamt of a spiritually awakened and sovereign India. We are just reclaiming that vision,” said one of the student participants.
The celebration and the controversy surrounding it have drawn sharp political reactions, especially from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Former MP Dilip Ghosh remarked: “I salute the students for showing the courage to celebrate Ram Navami in a place that has become a hotbed of ideological intolerance.”
BJP leader Locket Chatterjee, who participated in a Ram Navami procession in Kolkata, alleged that the West Bengal Police were acting like cadres of the ruling Trinamool Congress: “Only in Bengal does one need court orders to celebrate Hindu festivals. But political programmes by Left groups and religious events for minorities get seamless approval. This isn’t secularism — it’s submission.”
Former JU Vice-Chancellor Buddhadeb Sahu, who served during more politically balanced times, questioned the very legality of the denial:
“If there’s no VC, who denied the permission? The university cannot function in a vacuum. I’ve been part of Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, and Iftar here — all were peaceful. This excuse of ‘no VC’ is dishonest and politically motivated.” Unlike the loud and aggressive portrayals often used to stereotype Hindu events, the Ram Navami puja was entirely peaceful.
- No university funds were used.
- No violence or disruption occurred.
- No political slogans were raised.
Instead, there was devotional singing, distribution of prasad, and chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” by students, many of whom were participating in such a public Hindu event for the first time inside JU’s premises.
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