Kerala varsity VC: Vande Mataram critics don’t know mother

Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal has said those who oppose singing Vande Mataram do not know who their mother is. He made the remark on Saturday while speaking at Sankalp 2026, an RSS youth meet in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, on Independence Day. Kunnummal, who is also acting VC of the University of Kerala, told the gathering that India is called Mother India and that those who understand motherhood will always sing the national song.

The speech has drawn sharp criticism from student bodies. The SFI, KSU and the AISF have accused the VC of pushing an RSS agenda at the university, siasat.com and thenewsminute.com report. The LDF and UDF have also alleged that his appointment by the Governor is an attempt to saffronise Kerala's education system. Kunnummal later told The Hindu his reference was to the motherland.

The controversy comes as the Kerala government did not sing Vande Mataram at its official Independence Day event despite a Union directive. The Union Home Ministry has prescribed a six-stanza version, whose later stanzas have drawn objections over religious imagery. The BJP, however, sang the full version at multiple events across the state. Kunnummal has previously faced criticism for attending RSS events.