On October 4, two days after the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Gujarat Vidyapith, the deemed university founded by the Father of the Nation over a century ago, decided to appoint its first non-Gandhian chancellor, completing the effective takeover of Gandhian institutions by the government in Bapu’s home state.

The Vidyapith’s governing council unanimously accepted 89-year-old chancellor Elaben Bhatt’s resignation letter that cited health issues, which in itself was an unexceptional measure.

But the council decided to invite Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat to take over as chancellor of the Vidyapith. Of the 24 Vidyapith trustees, 13 voted in favour of the invitation while 9 opposed and 2 remained neutral.

In October 1920, Mahatma Gandhi had written a two-line letter to Vidyagauri Nilkanth, one of the first women graduates from Gujarat: “I have always wanted Gujarat Vidyapith to be established. It goes without saying that the government will have no say in its affairs.”

Gujarat Vidyapith was established as a national university without a government charter. Gandhi was its lifelong chancellor. Many more institutions, colleges and schools were later affiliated to or recognised by the Vidyapith — the total number of students in these institutions standing at 30,000 in 1923.

The activities of the Vidyapith were interrupted periodically because of the Civil Disobedience Movements of 1930 and 1932 and the Quit India Movement of 1942.

Gandhi, in his inaugural speech at Gujarat Mahavidyalaya, a constituent college of Gujarat Vidyapith, said on November 15, 1920: “I have done a good many things in my life; some of them I feel proud of, though some others I regret. A few of them were very responsible undertakings. But I should like to state here — I am sure I am guilty of no exaggeration — that nothing I have done so far can stand comparison with what we are about to do today.”

The principal objective of the Vidyapith is to promote Gandhi’s ideals of craft-centred and service-oriented education.

After Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad and Morarji Desai adorned the post of chancellor. Elaben Bhatt was appointed chancellor in 2015.

Gujarat Vidyapith has not seen any non-Gandhian at its helm as chancellor in its 102-year history. Devvrat’s appointment is unprecedented to that extent. It’s seen as a clear attempt to “saffronise” the Gandhian Institute.

The governor is the ex-officio chancellor of all state universities. The Vidyapith is a deemed university. Besides, Devvrat was invited to be the chancellor not because of his position as governor but in his individual capacity.

Devvrat’s proximity to yoga practitioner Ramdev is no secret. He has close ties with the RSS, too. It is said that Ramdev played an important role in getting him the position of the Himachal Pradesh governor in 2015. He has been Gujarat governor since 2019.

Rajendra Khimani, current vice-chancellor of the Vidyapith, voted in favour of Devvrat’s appointment as chancellor. Khimani’s appointment as vice-chancellor in 2021 had landed in controversy as the UGC found procedural lapses.

Besides, a fact-finding committee constituted by the UGC found him responsible for lapses in the administrative and financial functioning of the Vidyapith during his tenure as registrar from 2004 to 2019. The UGC directed Elaben Bhatt to immediately remove Khimani as vice-chancellor.

He was not removed and the matter reached Gujarat High court. In the last week of September, the high court upheld the UGC directives, indicated that Khimani was not eligible for appointment and set a two-month deadline for his removal from the post. He is still functioning as vice-chancellor, and he chaired the October 4 meeting where the controversial resolution was passed. This is being seen as his last attempt to save his own position in the Vidyapith.

The Navajivan Trust, a publishing house founded by Gandhi in 1929, went into the hands of vested interests a few years ago. Then the Sabarmati Ashram was taken over in the name of redevelopment. With the recent resolution passed by the so-called Gandhian trustees, Gujarat Vidyapith has moved into the fold of the ruling dispensation.

It is ironic that both the Sabarmati Ashram and the Vidyapith went into the hands of the government at a time when Elaben Bhatt was chairperson of the former and chancellor of the latter. The Gandhian trustees chose to remain silent, failing to safeguard the sanctity and autonomy of important Gandhian institutes.

In the emblem of Gujarat Vidyapith, it is written “Savidyayavimuktaye” (knowledge is that which liberates). It is unfortunate that Gujarat Vidyapith, which was very close to the Mahatma’s heart, is ready to be handed on a silver platter to the ruling dispensation by the so-called Gandhian trustees.

Mehul Devkala is a poet and an award-winning filmmaker. His short film Kaun Se Bapu is based on Mahatma Gandhi