Calicut University to Decide on Removing Vedan’s Song from Syllabus

Quick Summary:

• The University of Calicut’s Board of Studies (BoS) and academic council will decide on the proposed removal of rapper Hirandas Murali’s song Bhumi Njan Vazhunna Idam and Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care about Us from the syllabus for a four-year BA (Malayalam) course.
• The Vice-Chancellor, P. Raveendran, stated that this issue is academic, not political. He questioned whether comparative music studies should be included in a Malayalam literature course.
• Former Malayalam department head M.M. Basheer reviewed complaints about the syllabus and suggested removing other comparative studies, including Kathakali music versus Carnatic music featuring singer Gowri Lakshmi.
• A chaotic Senate meeting followed, with Left-affiliated members protesting against syllabus changes and alleging unauthorized granting of marks by the V-C to a students’ union leader.
• Congress-affiliated members and IUML representatives protested alleged assaults on staff during SFI-led protests and sought remedies for issues related to subsidiary course selection.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The debate over curriculum revisions at the University of Calicut underscores broader questions about interdisciplinary academics in conventional literature programs. Supporters argue that integrating contemporary art forms like rap or global artists like michael Jackson allows students to engage critically with societal themes through diverse genres. Critics counter that such inclusions may dilute core literary objectives.

The vice-Chancellor’s emphasis on keeping this discussion academic rather than political highlights the importance of resolving educational disputes through scholarly reasoning rather than ideological divides. However, disruptions at the Senate meeting suggest underlying tensions within campus governance structures involving faculty unions, student bodies, and institutional administration.

Key implications could involve setting precedents for how modern cultural elements interact with traditional syllabi in higher education-a decision influencing broader policy discussions across universities in India regarding educational modernization vs preservation.

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