Journalist Vinod Jose says he was ‘disinvited’ from delivering speech on democracy at Kerala college

Journalist Vinod K Jose, the former editor of The Caravan magazine, said on Tuesday that he was disinvited from a college event in Kerala’s Pala town.

Jose was scheduled to speak on the “State of Indian Democracy” at St Thomas College on Thursday, as part of the institute’s annual TC Thomas Endowment Lecture.

He said that he was told on Tuesday morning that the management and the principal did not want him on campus, as he was a “controversial figure”.

The journalist said this was the first time he had been disinvited from an event.

Noting that the institution is a Catholic diocese-managed college, Jose said in a social media post: “These are interesting times we live in. If not all, at least a section of the Christian society in Kerala are tiptoeing the RSS-BJP [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party] line of blocking relevant, transparent conversations at the least, and at its maximum, working to help the Hindu right get a foothold in Kerala.”

The RSS is the parent organisation of the ruling BJP.

Jose said that through his disinvitation, “the lecture has already been delivered, without me uttering a word”.

“The state of Indian democracy stands explained,” he remarked.

The journalist said that Christian educational institutions often complain about declining student quality. “But the question is also about...

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