Renaming game: True decolonization in Odisha education 'would require' rejection of Hindutva

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak

The Union Minister for Higher Education in India started a political debate by suggesting the renaming of Ravenshaw College and University in Cuttack, Odisha, due to the controversial role of its founder, Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, in the Odisha famine, which claimed millions of lives. Renaming universities and educational institutions is not a new phenomenon in the state.

The previous government, led by the BJD, changed the name of Kalahandi University to Maa Manikeshwari University, succumbing to the demands of Hindutva politics in the state. However, did this name change lead to any kind of radical educational transformation in the material conditions of educational infrastructure and address the existing educational deprivation at the university?

Colleges, universities, and higher education institutions in Odisha suffer from a severe lack of skilled and qualified teachers, research-led teaching, research centers for training, infrastructure, and funding for teaching, research and development. Libraries, toilets, classrooms, and accommodations for students and staff are in deplorable condition.

Successive governments in the state have neglected higher education for decades, leading to its current devastating state. Without investing in the expansion and improvement of higher education in the state, engaging in debates over the branding or rebranding of Ravenshaw or any other institution is meaningless.

However, name changes can be seen as a branding or rebranding exercise, a practice that occurs frequently worldwide. This is not inherently problematic if it serves a meaningful purpose for the greater common good.

Before imposing any renaming of educational institutions, it would be more democratic to hold a referendum, taking into consideration the views of all stakeholders and the people into consideration. There are two ways of looking at branding and name changing exercise of educational institutions.

Firstly, the branding and rebranding of educational institutions, colleges, and universities can be seen as an extension of corporate strategy, reflecting the encroachment of corporate culture into higher education. In Odisha, this practice serves as a political strategy for the two mainstream parties, the BJP and BJD, allowing them to evade responsibility and public accountability for the current state of higher education in the state.

Changing a name does not address the material and non-material conditions of the deteriorating higher education system in Odisha, which has suffered from the apathy of both the previous BJD government and the current BJP government.

By focusing on the renaming debate of the historic Ravenshaw College and Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, these ruling parties are diverting public attention from their failures in defending and promoting higher education in Odisha.

Without investing in improving higher education, engaging in debates over branding or rebranding of Ravenshaw is meaningless

Secondly, renaming can also be viewed as part of a decolonisation process, where rebranding an educational institution is essential to reflect local ethos and address local needs. This process involves transforming the current curriculum, which often continues to reflect Eurocentric worldviews and undermines local knowledge traditions.

Hindutva, as a dominant political and ideological narrative, can neither serve the cause of decolonisation nor effectively lead a decolonisation project, as it is itself a product of Eurocentric knowledge traditions and legacies of British colonialism in India.

The Hindutva-driven renaming exercise is part of a corporate diversionary strategy and has nothing to do with the decolonization of educational institutions in terms of their names, legacies, or curriculum. The Eurocentric nature of Hindutva ideology is not organic to the multicultural ethos of Odisha or India.

Therefore, true decolonization of the curriculum requires the rejection of Hindutva ideology within educational frameworks. Simply changing the names of places, railway stations, cities, and educational institutions is insufficient to end colonial legacies. Decolonisation must involve the rejection of all forms of colonial knowledge traditions and feudal practices in education, society, culture, and politics.

By all means, change the name of Ravenshaw College and University if it genuinely serves the larger project of decolonisation. However, name changes without corresponding progressive changes in educational policies and funding to expand secular, scientific, and regional knowledge traditions is a dubious and reactionary debate.

Such a debate serves no one but the ruling elites, upholding the status quo and using diversionary strategies to hide their failures and evade political accountability. One hopes that the state and government will provide the necessary funding and create an academic research, teaching and learning environment that can restore the past glories of higher educational institutions in Odisha.

Comments

Adani coalmine delayed? Australian senate fails to pass crucial "reform" amendment for project's financial closure

Adanis' Mundra power plant, controversial in Australia By A Representative In what is being described as a new “new hurdle”, the proposed Adani coalmine in the Queensland state of in Australia failed to get the crucial Australian Parliamentary nod, essential for financial closure for one of the biggest coalmining projects in the world. The government lost the Senate vote 35-33, meaning the legislation won't pass until the Senate returns in mid-June.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Paul Newman wasn't just remarkably talented, he was anti-war activist, disdained Hollywood excesses

By Harsh Thakor* On January 26th of this year, we celebrated the birth centenary of Paul Newman, one of the finest actors of his era. His passing on September 26, 2008, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer, was met with an outpouring of tributes and remembrances from artists across the film industry, all sharing their thoughts and memories of the legendary actor.

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor* Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Hyderabad seminar rekindles memories of the spark lit 50 years ago by students

By Harsh Thakor* History is something we constantly remember and reflect upon, but certain moments and events bring it back to our memory in a special way. For the Telugu people, and Telangana in particular, the memorial seminar held on February 20–21 was a significant occasion to recall the glorious events, transformations, leaders, and heroes of past struggles. Thousands of students rewrote the history of people's movements in Andhra Pradesh, carrying revolutionary zeal and the spirit of self-sacrifice to levels comparable to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

Trust, we (from People to PM and President) did not take a Holy Dip in some Holy Shit!

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava I could see two deeply interlinked aspects between human and water in #MahaKumbh2025. Firstly, the HOPE that a ‘holy dip’ in the River Ganga (colloquially referred as dubki and spiritually as ‘Snan’) will cleanse oneself (especially the sins); and secondly, the TRUST that the water is pure to perform the cleansing alias living the hope. Well, I consider hope to be self-dependent while, trust is a multi-party dependent situation. The focus here is on the trust and I shall write later on hope.

Vadodara citizens urge authorities to adhere to environmental mandates in Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project

By A Representative A coalition of environmental activists, ecologists, and urban planners in Vadodara has issued an urgent appeal to state and municipal authorities, demanding strict compliance with court-mandated guidelines for the upcoming Vishwamitri River rejuvenation project. Scheduled to commence in March 2025, the initiative aims to mitigate flooding and restore the river, but citizens warn that current plans risk violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and jeopardizing the river’s fragile ecosystem, home to endangered species like crocodiles and Indian Softshell Turtles.

Buddhist communities in Michigan protest for Mahabodhi Temple’s return to Buddhist control

By A Representative Buddhist communities in Michigan have staged protests demanding the return of the Mahabodhi Vihara in Gaya, Bihar, India, to full Buddhist control. The Mahabodhi Temple, regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site in Buddhism, is currently managed under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, which grants a majority of control to non-Buddhists.

A Communist leader, an advocate for unity, against opportunism and sectarianism

By Harsh Thakor* Dhurva Narayan, a prominent leader from Bihar and a Central Committee member of the former PCC, CPI (ML) as well as the newly merged CPI (ML)-MassLine, passed away on February 12, 2025. He was an influential figure in the Indian Communist revolutionary movement for over five decades, known for his role in opposing Hindutva politics and globalization. Narayan was committed to fostering unity within Communist ranks and advocating against opportunism and sectarianism.

Search This Blog