On 10 December, following month-long protests by the students of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) Department of Banaras Hindu University, professor Firoze Khan forcefully resigned from his position. Khan will now teach Sanskrit in the Arts department instead.
Reacting to this news, actor Farhan Akhtar took to Twitter to voice his disappointment. Implying that what has happened was a shameful result, he wrote on Twitter, “blot.”
Actor Richa Chadha also expressed her opinion of the situation. Taking her cue from Pritish Nandy’s tweet about how the BHU professor’s resignation was “a matter of eternal shame for the institution”, Chadha said that she pitied the students as they now had a less qualified teacher.
She wrote, “The bright young Sanskrit scholar, Professor Firoze Khan’s transfer in #BHU is a matter of eternal shame for the institution and those who run its affairs. Finally, religion has subverted merit and talent too.”
BHU alumnus Varun Grover also tweeted about how the resignation of Firoze Khan was a matter of shame for every person who has graduated from the university.
He wrote, “BHU से जो जो पढ़ा है उसे आज शर्म आनी चाहिए। मुझे तो आ रही है। बहुत कुछ दिया है इस जगह ने लेकिन आज वो रिश्ता टूट गया। खुश रहो अहले-वतन, अब शायद मिलना ना होगा। (Everyone who has graduated from BHU should be ashamed today. The university has given me a lot but today that special relationship has come to an end.”)“
The SVDV students had been protesting against Khan’s appointment as a Sanskrit professor in their department. They insisted that only a Hindu person was appropriate for the job. Ever since his appointment, Khan had not been able to conduct any classes, despite having the support of the university.
Following Tuesday’s events, students ended the protests.
On 15 November, the BHU had declared that it supported the appointment of Firoze Khan and that it was committed to providing everyone equal opportunities.
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