Organised under the banner of Komuvada Alisi – Kendriya Vishvavidyalaya Ulisi Andolana (Eliminate Communalism – Save Central University Movement), several Dalit, progressive, left and democratic organisations have planned to lay siege to Central University of Karnataka (CUK) near Kadaganchi in Kalaburagi district on October 11, condemning what is termed as saffronisation of university campus.
Addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on October 3, D.G. Sagar, a Dalit leader and the president of the campaign said that over 5,000 people would take out a procession from Kadaganchi village to the CUK campus to protest against the efforts of CUK Vice-Chancellor Battu Satyanarayana, faculty member and former Registrar Basavaraj Donur and others who, he said, were promoting right-wing communalism in the campus and suppressing Dalit and progressive students by implicating them in false police cases.
“The CUK must run under Dr. B.R. Ambekdar’s Constitution and not under the Manusmriti. Ever since Mr. Satyanarayana assumed power as Vice-Chancellor, right-wing communal activities have gathered momentum. The Vice-Chancellor himself encouraged and supported the formation of branches of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the right-wing student organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Those students and faculty members who raise their voices against these activities are suppressed. CUK authorities themselves lodge police complaints against Dalti and progressive-minded students who are opposed to right-wing ideology. Mr. Satyanarayana and Mr. Donur are in the forefront in filing false police cases against the students with a malicious intention of spoiling their careers,” Mr. Sagar said.
