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Why Prof. Yogesh Singh’s Voice Must Be Heard, Not Hounded
The recent criticism directed at Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, reveals more about the intolerance of his detractors than about the content of his speech. Those accusing him of “polluting minds” or “attacking academic freedom” have deliberately twisted a deeply patriotic and reformist message into political propaganda. In reality, Prof. Singh’s address at Vigyan Bhawan was a bold, much-needed assertion of intellectual honesty, moral courage, and national responsibility in higher education.
A Vice Chancellor Who Spoke the Uncomfortable Truth
For far too long, our universities have been breeding grounds for ideological manipulation disguised as activism. Prof. Singh, an educationist with decades of service and spotless credentials, merely stated a truth that everyone within academia privately acknowledges: a small but powerful cabal of pseudo-intellectuals has converted classrooms into ideological trenches. These elements, under the garb of human rights or gender equality, often spread resentment against the very idea of India.
By warning against “urban Naxalism” in academic spaces, Prof. Singh did not attack teachers or students — he attacked the corruption of thought. He reminded us that the classroom must remain a site of enlightenment, not indoctrination. To interpret this as anti-freedom is absurd. Freedom of thought cannot mean the freedom to poison young minds against their own nation.
A Call for Accountability, Not Authoritarianism
The charge that Prof. Singh’s words were regressive or patriarchal is utterly baseless. His reference to movements like Pinjra Tod was not against women’s freedom but against the misuse of activism to breed hostility and ingratitude toward the very institutions and families that nurture students. The safety measures and moral codes of universities are not shackles; they are frameworks of protection and care.
Prof. Singh’s reflections were those of a responsible administrator, not a moral policeman. He asked a legitimate question — when did rebellion for its own sake become the new academic virtue? Why must our universities celebrate disorder as freedom? His message was clear: freedom without responsibility is chaos, and chaos in education is the beginning of civilisational decay.
Guarding the Nation’s Intellectual Sovereignty
The outrage against Prof. Singh also exposes a disturbing hypocrisy. Those who claim to champion freedom of expression cannot tolerate a Vice Chancellor expressing his conviction. The same people who preach tolerance have unleashed venom against a scholar who merely demanded that education remain rooted in truth, not ideology.
By invoking the Prime Minister’s mission of a “Naxal Mukt Bharat”, Prof. Singh connected national integrity with intellectual honesty — two values that should define every Indian university. He was not politicising education; he was decontaminating it. Those who brand his speech as “divisive” are, in fact, afraid of losing their monopoly over narrative control.
Respecting Taxpayers, Restoring Dharma in Education
Every public university runs on the hard-earned money of ordinary citizens — farmers, workers, and teachers. Prof. Singh reminded us that education is not a privilege for the entitled few but a sacred trust of the nation. To ridicule this reminder as “anti-student” is intellectually dishonest. Gratitude toward the society that funds our learning is not servitude; it is dharma.
When he said professors must stop “polluting minds,” he meant professors must stop betraying the nation through ideological indoctrination. This is not an insult to academia; it is a call to purify it. The temples of learning must not become laboratories of hate.
Courage Amidst Cowardice
It takes courage to speak truth in times when hypocrisy is fashionable. Prof. Yogesh Singh has shown that courage. He has done what many Vice Chancellors fear to do — to stand up and say that universities belong to Bharat, not to any ideological lobby. His speech at Bharat Manthan 2025 was a declaration of intellectual independence, not submission.
Those who smear him today will eventually be remembered as defenders of decadence. History will record Prof. Singh as the man who dared to cleanse the blackboard of corruption and restore learning to its true purpose — the service of the nation.
The Voice of Reform, Not Repression
Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Singh’s words represent the conscience of a patriot, the wisdom of a teacher, and the discipline of a reformer. His critics have resorted to distortion because they fear introspection. But the Indian academic system needs precisely the kind of clarity and conviction he embodies.
He has not divided academia — he has rescued it from intellectual anarchy.
He has not silenced dissent — he has given voice to moral responsibility.
He has not attacked freedom — he has defended Bharat’s civilisational truth.
Delhi University should be proud of its Vice Chancellor. India needs more educationists like him — fearless, nationalist, and uncompromising in their faith that the classroom is not a battlefield of politics but a sanctum of truth.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.