Students divided as CUK suspends professor who called Sangh Parivar 'pro fascist' during lecture

The Central University of Kerala suspending Gilbert Sebastian, an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations and Politics has drawn mixed reactions from the student community. 

In one of his lectures in April, Sebastian had called the Sangh-Parivar 'pro-fascist', causing a lot of hue and cry. Following a complaint by the campus's ABVP unit, the university had launched a probe against the academic. He was suspended on Monday.

The ABVP unit of the university said that they welcomed the suspension. "This move was based on a complaint that we filed. We welcome the university's suspension now. We will decide on the future course of action here, depending on what the organisation says," said Hari Krishnan, a student of MSc Yoga and an ABVP member. He added that Sebastian had defamed the government and the north Indian states in his lecture.

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The NSUI and the SFI have condemned the move. Quite vociferously, the Congress' student wing has called the university 'spineless' for its actions. "We urge the university administration to reconsider the decision (to suspend him) immediately, reinstate Dr Sebastian to the department and save the decent prospects of our campus to grow as a space of academic debates, dissent and democracy," their statement says.