Union minister Pradhan bats for renaming Ravenshaw varsity
BHUBANESWAR: Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday stirred a huge controversy by pressing for changing the name of Odisha’s most prestigious Ravenshaw University at Cuttack.
Even as Pradhan stressed that the need to rename the top university of Odisha was his personal opinion, he called for a debate on the issue among the academicians, intelligentsia and other sections.
Speaking to mediapersons at Cuttack on the occasion of local self-governance day, the Union minister questioned the role and contribution of Thomas Edward (TE) Ravenshaw, after whom the Ravenshaw College (now university) has been named, during the ‘Na’anka Durbhikhya’ or the Great Orissa Famine of 1866.
“The name of Ravenshaw University should be changed. Why did the catastrophic famine of 1866 take place and when it happened, what was Raveneshaw Saheb who was then the British commissioner of the state doing? Is there any pride attached to the people who were responsible for the misery of Odias,” Pradhan asked.
He said Odia people should think why a prestigious educational institution like Ravenshaw University should be named after a person like Ravenshaw.
The minister’s opinion, though, triggered a backlash with many saying Ravenshaw College is an intrinsic part of Odisha’s history and renaming it will wipe out its past glory.
