HUNDREDS of students and youth, under the banner of SFI and DYFI, marched to the office of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Delhi on August 10 protesting against the introduction of Jyotshishshastra (vedic astrology ) and Karmakand (brahminical rituals) courses at the undergraduate and post graduate levels in the universities. Students from JNU, Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia and from universities in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal participated in big numbers.

At the UGC office a protest meeting was held, which was addressed by student and youth leaders, political activists, academicians and scientists. Speaking on the occasion Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), lambasted the UGC decision as an effort to take the education system hundreds of years back. He wondered where from the UGC is generating funds for all these obscurantist courses while fees are being hiked in the universities in the name of resource crunch. He hailed the struggle against communalisation of education as an important component in the struggle against the reactionary forces in the country represented by the RSS-BJP. The days of this government are numbered he said, given the discontent amongst all sections of the people against the policies of the NDA government.

Brinda Karat, general secretary of AIDWA, while addressing the gathering, drew attention to the patriarchical values that are being inculcated in the content of education, by the UGC under its chairman, Hari Gautam. She strongly condemned the anti-women prejudices contained in the brahminical ritualism, which are being introduced under karmakand. She called for the immediate withdrawal of such patriarchical and casteist courses.

Representing the wide support for the protest from the academic and scientific community, Professor Rahul Roy, a mathematician from Indian Statistical Institute, expressed outrage at the forceful imposition of astrology as a science by the UGC. Reinforcing his arguments, Dr Amit Sengupta, renowned doctor and secretary of the Delhi Science Forum (DSF), asserted the unscientific basis of astrology. They expressed grave concern over the move to do away with scientific inquiry, which is the basis of modern knowledge, and introduce uncritical instruction in religious scriptures within public funded education institutions.

Terming this as an attack on the secular foundations of our society, P Krishnaprasad, all India president of SFI demanded the immediate revocation of these courses. The SFI he said would build up strong resistance in the campuses wherever these courses would be introduced. The UGC chairman would be forced to resign if he chooses to ignore the overwhelming opinion of the academic community across the country.

Sanjay Madhav, secretary, Rajasthan SFI state unit, presided over the meeting. Among the other speakers were Chandrakala Pandey and Bratin Sengupta Rajya Sabha members, Anurag Saxena secretary, Delhi SFI, Mahesh Kumar, secretary Delhi DYFI, Siddheshwar Shukla, president, Delhi DYFI, Tariqu Raza Khan, president, RCJD, Albeena Shakeel, vice-president, JNU students union, Lekhraj, secretary, SFI Uttarakhand, Santosh Siwach, president, SFI Haryana, and Jaibhagwan, secretary, SFI Haryana.