ABVP welcomes announcement of Guha not joining Ahmedabad university

Ahmedabad: ABVP in Gujarat ,the student wing of ruling BJP today objected to Ramachandra Guha’s taking to tweet to announce his decision to not to join Ahmedabad University, here but welcomed the development.

ABVP had opposed AU’s announcement about Guha’s appointment as the Shrenik Lalbhai Chair Professor of Humanities and director of the Gandhi Winter School at the university’s School of Arts and Sciences AU, The university a private, non-profit institution established in 2009 here by Ahmedabad Education Society (AES), on October 16 had announced it and handed over a memorandum to the university registrar B M Shah, addressed to vice chancellor Pankaj Chandra on October 19 after the news reports about it came.

The student outfit had alleged that Guha’s writings have encouraged divisive tendencies and inspired anti- nationalist, separatist forces in educational institutions like Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Central University, Hyderabad. It had demanded cancellation of this appointment with immediate effect in national interest.

Guha announced his decision to not join AU through a tweet which read, ‘ Due to circumstances beyond my control, I shall not be joining Ahmedabad University. I wish AU well; it has fine faculty and an outstanding Vice Chancellor. And may the spirit of Gandhi one day come alive once more in his native Gujarat.’

President of Gujarat state unit of ABVP, Ravi B Zala said that he welcomed the decision though he he did not know whether Guha had taken a decision at his own or has been asked by the university to do so.

He said that proofs about his anti-national and anti Gujarat writings were given to the AU. Guha despite being a historian never thought in terms of nation. When the BJP separated from PDP in Kashmir, he had also given a controversial statement which showed that for him peace there was not important. He was only interested in pulling down the BJP.

He said that the protests would continue if the university tried to re-rope him. If the voices of those shouting Azadi from India can go on why can’t we also raise our voice in democratic manner,’ he questioned.

ABVP Gujarat organization Secretary Ashwini Sharma alleged that Guha was a synonym of controversy. He had termed the decision to confer Bharat Ratna on BHU founder Malviya ji as stupid. If that was so then the decision to invite him to AU to teach Gujarat, the land which gave Gandhi, was 10 time more stupid.

‘Guha who had shown his anti nationalist and anti Gujarat attitude many times in the past including when he criticized the conferring of Bharat Ratna to Late Madan Mohan Malviya, and when he wrote several things against Gujarat. He claims to be a Gandhian but Gujarat is the land from where Gandhi comes. We don’t need to learn Gandhism from him,’ he said.

Every child of Gujarat knows Gandhi better than him, we don’t need to learn it from him. He had despite being a historian taken political views and wrote anti Gujarat things, Sharma said and he also said that Guha should not have used tweeter to announce his decision as it was a matter between him and the university.
‘Taking to tweeter on such issues is definitely not Gandhian way,’ he said.

The University today refused to comment about the development saying that VC Pankaj Chandra was out of the country and only he can officially speak on the matter.

 

 

DeshGujarat