An institute of learning in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur is conducting a ‘Mrithyunjaya Homam’ (a Hindu ritual to overcome untimely death) on February 24, Friday, apparently because five of the institute’s staff passed away in the span of a month. M Ramakrishna Reddy, Vice Chancellor (VC) of Sri Krishnadevaraya University, has issued an official circular notifying people about the ritual. The circular, dated February 16, even asks employees including teaching and non-teaching staff to contribute for the homam.
“Sri Dhanavanthari Maha Mruthyunjaya Shaanthi Homam is proposed to perform on 24th February, 2023 at 8:30am at SK University Kreeda Vedhika to have the blessings of the almighty to all the employees and students of the University. Hence, it is requested that all the employees who are willing to participate voluntarily in Homam, can contribute a minimum amount of Rs.500/- for teaching staff and Rs.100/- for non-teaching staff to incur the expenditure for the above homam… on or before February 21 (sic),” the circular says.
Protesting the practice of such superstitious rituals on the university premises, several students have submitted a petition to the VC. The petition points out that conducting such a homam on the campus would promote unscientific beliefs, and further condemns the move to seek monetary contribution from the employees for this purpose. The VC, however, has told the students that the administration was planning to proceed with the homam.
Students of #Srikrishnadevaraya University in #AndhraPradesh protest against conducting of #MrithyunjayaHomam on campus. Students say that Universities should be a place of scientific temperament and should not promote superstitious beliefs as such pic.twitter.com/yDW7oc2kGj
— Rajeswari Parasa (@ParasaRajeswari) February 20, 2023
Suryachandra Yadav, an MCom student, who is also the vice president of Students' Federation of India (SFI), Andhra Pradesh told TNM that in the students' petition, they had stated that universities should be a hub for scientific empowerment and should not give space for such superstitious beliefs. "We had asked the VC to at least not conduct this in the campus vicinity. But he said he would go ahead with the homam in the varsity itself," he said.
Meanwhile, after the circular went viral, VC Ramakrishna Reddy told the media that the administration was worried something was wrong at the University and wanted to stop it, which was why they planned the homam. “In the span of a month, five people who worked in the University lost their lives. This had not happened even during the pandemic, when there were three waves of the COVID-19 virus. Someone suggested that we try a Mrithyunjaya Homam, which would stop these untimely deaths. Employees also thought we should do it," he said.
The VC added that the administration did not want to use money from the varsity funds, because of which he thought of conducting it by taking money out of his own pocket. "But some employees said that they want to contribute as well. So we decided on an amount and released a circular. There was no compulsion to give money," he said.