New Delhi, 14 August—In an unfortunate development reflecting a sharp deterioration in the secular ethos in the national capital, an Independence Day address by political scientist and JNU Professor emerita Zoya Hasan at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi was cancelled at the last minute today after a group of VHP members reportedly gathered outside the school.
Hasan had been invited as the chief guest for the school’s Independence Day and scholarship award ceremony. She was scheduled to hoist the national flag and address students at the school’s Lodi Estate campus.
According to reports, around 10-15 VHP members gathered at the school gate shortly before the programme. Delhi Police subsequently deployed additional personnel at the spot, citing security concerns related to Hasan.
The development led to the cancellation of Hasan’s appearance at the event. Sources said that though the school had not called the police, they arrived after the gathering outside the campus.
Sources said the school’s principal and teachers held discussions with the police and argued against cancelling the programme, but their efforts did not yield any result.
The event was eventually held in the school auditorium, with Gujarat Education Society (GES) president and school alumna Shveta Kalyanwala replacing Hasan as the chief guest. GES is the parent body that manages Sardar Patel Vidyalaya.
The school’s invitation had said the programme would begin at 10 am and include the Independence Day celebrations as well as the scholarship award ceremony.
Sources described the cancellation as unprecedented, saying it was the first time in the school’s history that its Independence Day programme had been disrupted in this manner.
The incident comes amid heightened political contestation around public events involving academics and public intellectuals. The reasons cited for the police intervention and the identity and demands of those who gathered outside the school could not be independently verified.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
