NEW DELHI: One of India’s leading universities has come under scrutiny for compromising academic freedom after canceling a seminar on democracy on the same day staff were instructed to promote a summit focused on cow welfare, according to American news channel CNN.
While cows hold a sacred place for many Hindus, critics argue that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leveraging this cultural reverence to further its Hindu nationalist agenda.
Faculty and students at Delhi University, long regarded as a stronghold of free expression, say the directive reflects growing pressure from the Modi administration on academic institutions, as it promotes Hindu values within a democracy that was founded on secular principles.
“The juxtaposition of promoting this questionable event while suppressing a critical social science seminar demonstrates a clear bias against scientific inquiry,” said the Democratic Teachers Front, an organization representing teachers and students, in a statement.
The seminar, titled “Land, Property and Democratic Rights,” was part of a lecture series that has been held at Delhi University for over sixty years.
CNN reported that the university’s administration announced the cancellation of the October 31 seminar on the same day Dean of Colleges Balaram Pani sent a notice urging principals to encourage student and faculty participation in the “National Godhan (Cow Herd) Summit.” The summit was described on its official website as “a landmark event dedicated to the welfare of cows.”
Summit to discuss cow welfare
The off-campus event, organized by the National Godhan (Cow Herd) Organization, an NGO with government ties, was scheduled to continue until November 10. The group describes itself as an “Idealistic Non-Violent Movement” focused on cow welfare and the promotion of cow-based sustainable innovations.
The Democratic Teachers Front criticized the administration for prioritizing a cow summit over a seminar on democracy, calling it “a deliberate attempt to undermine the legacy of India’s post-1947 achievements in both natural and social sciences,” referencing the period following the end of British colonial rule.
Nandini Sundar, a sociology professor and the convener of the now-canceled seminar, accused the government of carrying out a targeted ideological crackdown. She said, “They are trying to destroy public universities, suppress critical thinking, and only promote Hindutva ideology.”
Hindutva is a political ideology aiming to define India’s national identity around Hindu culture and history. Critics argue it excludes the country’s diverse minority communities. According to the 2011 Census, about 80% of India’s population is Hindu, with Muslims making up roughly 14%, the largest minority group, alongside followers of Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and various local religions.
Namita Wahi, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and founding director of the Lands Rights Initiative, had been scheduled to lead the seminar. She has been a long-standing critic of the Modi government’s land acquisition practices, which have often bypassed community land rights.
Sundar noted that no official reason was provided for the seminar’s cancellation, stating: “We can only speculate that the RSS-led government is wary of discussions on land and democratic rights.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Modi, has ideological ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a century-old right-wing organization advocating Hindu nationalism. While the RSS has repeatedly claimed it does not discriminate against minorities, critics see its influence as a threat to secular and democratic discourse.
Local media reported that the university registrar cited the lack of prior permission as the reason for canceling the seminar. Sundar challenged this claim, saying, “Prior permission has not been required for the last 60 years. Other departments regularly host speakers without seeking approval.”
Aryan Maan, president of the Delhi University Student Union and a member of the RSS-affiliated student group ABVP, denied that the RSS exercises control over the university, emphasizing that departments operate independently. CNN also reported that it reached out to the RSS for comment but did not receive a response. Following the cancellation, Sundar resigned from her role as seminar convener, a position she had held for two years.
Shrinking freedoms
Delhi University and similar institutions have long been regarded as hubs of free expression and secular thought. Historically, they played a pivotal role in student-led movements during India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule and later became centers of resistance against the authoritarian state of emergency imposed by the Indian National Congress in the 1970s.
In recent years, these campuses gained national attention again, particularly in 2019, when they became focal points of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a law criticized for allegedly discriminating against Muslims by using religion as a criterion for citizenship.
“Public universities have traditionally been spaces for open debate and, at least in theory, are accessible to people across all classes and castes,” said Sundar. “They have played a crucial role in fostering social mobility and encouraging free inquiry in ways that private institutions cannot.”
Yet, these same universities are increasingly labeled as centers of “anti-national” activity by supporters of Prime Minister Modi, putting students and faculty under intense scrutiny. Administrative appointments in public universities require government approval, which, Sundar says, limits academic freedom and influences what can be taught and researched.
The Indian Academic Freedom Network, which monitors breaches of academic freedom, reported that over the past year, universities hosted more than 50 events promoting Hindutva and BJP-aligned perspectives. The network also documented numerous instances of alleged interference in curricula, including banning books critical of the government and blocking seminars on topics like democracy and freedom of expression.
However, Maan, president of the Delhi University Student Union and a member of an RSS-affiliated student group, argued that the RSS has positively influenced academic life. “There’s more academic freedom now, and the range of subjects has expanded,” he said, citing the creation of the university’s Centre for Hindu Studies as an example.
Cow as a political tool
The transformation of the cow from merely a religious icon to a symbol of national pride has become a central part of the BJP’s political agenda. When Narendra Modi secured a sweeping victory in 2014, his party’s manifesto emphasized the protection of cows as a way to safeguard India’s cultural heritage, a goal long championed by the RSS, which has pushed for tougher laws against cow slaughter for decades.
Although some anti-slaughter regulations existed before, BJP-led governments have seen multiple states introduce stricter laws in recent years. Alongside these legal measures, there has been a noticeable rise in vigilante attacks, often targeting Muslims accused of harming or disrespecting cows.
A 2021 report by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project highlighted that right-wing Hindu nationalist organizations like the RSS “have been emboldened to attack minority groups.” Delhi University scholar Sundar described the erosion of academic freedom as “tragic,” warning, “Many excellent public universities have already been destroyed; now the remaining ones are at risk as well.”
