Synopsis
The University of Madras has cancelled a lecture titled 'Spreading Christianity in India' after protests from ABVP and Hindu groups, amid concerns of religious propaganda in educational institutions.Key Takeaways
- Lecture titled ‘Spreading Christianity in India’ cancelled.
- Protests led by ABVP and Hindu organizations.
- University faced backlash for perceived religious propaganda.
- Criticism on social media regarding event's relevance to archaeology.
- Concerns over ideological influence in educational institutions.
Chennai, March 11 (NationPress) A talk titled ‘Spreading Christianity in India’, originally set for March 14 at the University of Madras, has been cancelled due to protests from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), various Hindu organizations, and significant backlash on social media.
This event, part of the Sir S Subramania Ayyar Endowment Lecture 2024-2025, was to be presented by K. Siva Kumar, Chief Engineer from Hyderabad. The announcement of the lecture by the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology ignited controversy, particularly due to its themes: ‘How to Spread Christianity in India’ and ‘Why Need This Margam’ (Path).
As soon as the invitation for the event circulated widely, criticism erupted on social media, with many accusing the university of converting a center of education into a vehicle for religious propaganda.
BJP State Secretary S. G. Suryah vocally condemned the university administration for arranging the event. In response to growing pressure, the University of Madras officially declared the cancellation of the lecture.
In a communication to the Raj Bhavan, University Registrar Prof. S. Elumalai clarified that the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology had not sought prior approval to conduct the endowment lecture. “In light of this, we directed the relevant individual to cancel the lecture immediately,” he stated.
J. Soundararajan, Associate Professor and Head-in-Charge of the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, also confirmed the cancellation, citing “administrative reasons.”
ABVP took to social media, asserting responsibility for halting the lecture, which it deemed religious propaganda inappropriate for a state university.
“This illustrates ABVP’s resolve to prevent the promotion of biased ideologies within universities,” the organization posted on X.
Political commentator and editor of Thuglak Tamil Weekly, S. Gurumurthy, also denounced the event, claiming it was an attempt to sway intellectual institutions. He called for more than just cancellation, demanding accountability for those responsible.
Numerous scholars and social media users criticized the university for approving an event perceived as religious proselytization. Some questioned the connection of such a lecture to archaeology, while others accused evangelical groups of systematically attempting to influence educational institutions.
One social media user remarked, “How on earth are these topics related to archaeology? This is getting crazier by the day!” Others called the event “absurd,” “weird,” and “nonsensical.”
This is not the first occasion the University of Madras has encountered backlash over similar matters. In 2020, controversy arose when the Department of Christian Studies, in collaboration with Elon University (USA), sought to host a conference titled ‘Containment, Collection, and Arrangement in South Asian Religion’. The conference topics, which included temple architecture and Hindu religious narratives, fueled suspicions of an anti-Hindu agenda.
Advocate A. Aswathaman had commented at that time, “The range of topics listed made us suspect that it was going to be an anti-Hindu conference.”
With the latest controversy, concerns are again being raised regarding religious influence in academic institutions and the potential misuse of university platforms for ideological promotion.
