Pinarayi Vijayan opposes appointment of new KCHR chief in Kerala

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, has strongly condemned the state government's appointment of a new chairperson for the Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR). Terming the move highly objectionable, Vijayan claimed that the government unilaterally excluded names suggested by the search committee and selected an individual whose name was not even considered by the panel. Professor Vinodkumar Kallolickal from the History Department of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, has been appointed as the KCHR chairperson.

Veteran CPI leader Vijayan alleged that this appointment was made through the direct interference of the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department. He described the entire process as part of an agenda to saffronise the KCHR. Currently, senior IAS officer B. Ashok serves as the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, who was suspended in April by the previous LDF government for criticising the government on social media. So far, the state government or the concerned minister has not reacted to the allegations made by the Leader of the Opposition.

In his statement, Vijayan noted that members of the search committee formed by the UDF government, Professor Sanal Mohan and Dr. V. J. Varghese, have registered their protest against this undemocratic action and sent a note of dissent to the government. Additionally, the resignations of renowned historians Professor Janaki Nair, Lakshmi Subramaniam, and Manu V. Devadevan from the KCHR Executive Committee also highlight this serious situation. Vijayan further alleged that the same officer who worked with the Governor during the bill to remove the Governor from the post of Chancellor during the previous LDF government is now implementing the RSS agenda in the KCHR.

The Leader of the Opposition also expressed suspicion regarding the personal interests of the Higher Education Minister in this entire matter. He demanded that the government immediately reconsider this appointment. Vijayan clarified that Kerala will certainly oppose any attempts that could destroy the state's higher education sector and historical research institutions. He alleged that an attempt is being made to implement a similar agenda in Kerala, citing the appointment of RSS प्रचारक (propagators) in the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) in 2015 after the NDA government came to power at the Centre.

The Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR) is an autonomous institution under the Government of Kerala, established to promote historical and social science research in the state. This institution plays a vital role in the study and documentation of history.