The vice-chancellor of Kerala University, on Monday, March 4, barred the Left-ruled students' union from using the name 'Intifada' for this year's youth festival at the university.
The VC cited the name’s association with the Palestinian uprising against Israel and said the festival platform cannot be used to propagate any type of ideologies, reported PTI.
In a note issued to the Registrar, VC Mohanan Kunnummal said that the students' union has "committed a mistake" in choosing a word that has connotations that could affect many among the students and the public.
He said freedom of expression has its own limitations.
"It cannot be used to hurt others and destroy the harmony and peace in the campus. The platform of the youth festival cannot be permitted to be made a stage to propagate any type of ideologies. It is to be used to promote arts and culture and not to be used as a platform for discussing or propagating any ideologies," the note read.
He directed the registrar to remove the term from all the banners, posters, flyers, social media handles and others in connection with the Kerala University youth festival.
The festival is scheduled from March 7 to 11.
The word, 'Intifada', is closely linked with the Palestinian uprising against Israel.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, had approached the VC against the name, saying the word does not promote harmony and was not in any way associated with art or culture.
When seeking an explanation from the VC regarding the term Intifada, the chairman of the Left-ruled student's union said, "The name was chosen to create a defence against Israel for their atrocities on the children of Palestine".
The director of the Student's Services has also supported the choice of the name, saying the union was free to choose the name and there is no reason to interfere with the same, the university sources said.
However, the vice-chancellor rejected the explanations and said the youth festival was not a place for any protest, added PTI.
Meanwhile, the students' union informed that they would not change the name as the matter was under the consideration of the Kerala High Court.
The high court had on March 1 issued notice to the state government and the university vice-chancellor on a writ petition against naming the university youth festival, Intifada.
