Day after the agitating students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) called off their sit-in stir, former faculty members of the same Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan (SVDV) department, raised objection to the appointment of a Muslim professor. The ex-faculty body of the Sanskrit department has also written a letter to the President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing out that the appointment of Dr Feroz Khan as an assistant professor in the department was not in accordance with the rules.
They have called for the immediate annulment of the appointment of Dr Feroz Khan to the SVDV and said that he could be shifted to any other Sanskrit teaching department of the University. "The Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan department should not be tinkered with as the appointment of any non-Hindu is against the established norms and tradition of the department," the letter mentioned. "The appointment of any non-Hindu to the department would cause disruption to the religious, tradition, karma kanda education of students training to be acharyas and shastris of the religion," the letter further said. "If this continues, it is going to lead to unprecedented chaos and the 'acharya parampara' would become void," the members added.
It further said that if educated under a non Hindu, the doors of employment and religious practices by Hindu organisations would be forever closed for these students. They have pointed out it may also lead to trouble in the future employment of such students at various Hindu temples.
The submission to the President points out that the university came into being under the guidance of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and the faculty of Theology was established to study the religious texts, scriptures of religions like Sanatan Hindu Dharma and its associate religions of Indian origin like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
The faculty also studies various religious rituals, astrology, scriptures and other religious literature related to these religions. Former BHU Professor Rewa Prasad Dwiwedi, who is also emeritus professor at SVDV, said that the department would become irrelevant if such kind of appeasement continues.
"No one will come for further studies here if appointments of non-Hindus are made in the department," he said. The professor pointed out that the department has been operating for over 100 years. The retired professor said that the students of this department cannot be forced to be taught by a Muslim or Christian teacher. The letter to the President has the signatures of over 50 retired members of the Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan department.
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