Sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram at honourary doctorate event: pro-Left Syndicate members

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Pro-Left Syndicate members in the University of Calicut have urged the authorities to ensure that only two stanzas of the national song Vande Mataram are sung at the honourary doctorate presentation ceremony to be attended by Governor and Chancellor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Minister for Higher Education Roji M. John, scheduled to be held on the main campus on October 6.

Filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad and industrialist P.K. Ahammed are being given Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) while scientist E.D. Jemmis is being presented with a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.).

The pro-Left Syndicate members P.P. Sumod MLA, M.B. Faisal, T. Mohammed Saleem, K. Mohammed Haneefa, K. Pradeep Kumar, P. Sushanth, and E. Abdurahim said in a letter to the Registrar on Monday (September 28, 2026) that if the National Song has to be sung at the event, university laws and applicable guidelines should be fully complied with. The authorities should ensure that only two stanzas are sung. Quoting Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, they said that it is not mandatory to sing the whole song. The Syndicate members urged the Registrar to organise in such a way that the secular legacy of Malabar and the University of Calicut are followed.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has asked the university authorities to file a counter affidavit in response to a petition filed by P.A. Baby Shari and P.K. Dinesh, senate members, objecting to the ceremony. They had contended that the decision to conduct the event did not have the approval of the senate. The case will be heard on October 1.

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