Kerala University VC says Vande Mataram opponents don’t know mother

Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal has sparked a fresh controversy by stating that those who oppose saying 'Vande Mataram' 'do not know who their mother is'. He made the remarks on Saturday while addressing an RSS youth meet, 'Sankalp 2026 Yuva Sangamam', in Thiruvananthapuram.

Speaking about the idea of Bharat Mata, Kunnummal linked the national song to motherhood, saying: 'That is why when we pray, we say Vande Mataram. It is our mother.' Student organisations SFI and KSU have accused him of attempting to push an RSS agenda at Kerala University. Both the LDF and UDF have questioned his appointment by the Governor, alleging efforts to 'saffronise' the state's education system.

The controversy follows the state government's refusal to recite 'Vande Mataram' at its official Independence Day celebrations despite a Union government directive. The Kerala Governor, as Chancellor of universities, appoints vice-chancellors, a practice both previous and current state governments have challenged.