Kerala Women’s Panel Seeks Action Over Inclusion of Rapper Vedan’s Song in University Curriculum

The women's organisation has argued that mandating students to study rapper Vedan's work, while a serious case is pending, creates an uncomfortable academic environment and contradicts principles of gender justice.

Kozhikode (Kerala): A women's rights organization has approached Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who serves as Chancellor of state universities, requesting intervention regarding the inclusion of rapper Vedan aka Hirandas Murali's work in the university curricula. The rapper has been booked over rape allegations, prompting the Council for Women's Rights and Safety to raise concerns about his song being part of academic syllabi at two major universities. 

The organization's chairperson PSF Husna highlighted that Vedan's song Bhumi Njan Vazhunna Idam has been incorporated into the BA Malayalam curriculum at both the University of Calicut and the University of Kerala. The petition comes amid pending rape charges filed by a female student against Vedan. The Chancellor's office has reportedly requested a response from Calicut University authorities, who have referred the matter to the appropriate department for an official reply, according to sources. The organization had initially contacted Calicut University administration on August 12 seeking removal of the content. However, they subsequently discovered that the artist's work had been included in Kerala University's curriculum as well, prompting the direct appeal to the Governor. 

‘Will Approach Kerala HC if Governor Does Not Intervene’

In her letter as quoted by The Hindu, Husna has clarified the organization's position. "We wish to emphasise that our committee does not question the literary or artistic merit of his work, nor do we claim that an artiste's personal life automatically diminishes the value of their creations. We acknowledge that an artiste from a marginalised community, who challenges social and linguistic conventions, contributes to the legitimate cultural tradition. Nevertheless, Vedan is currently facing a rape accusation from a female student, and a formal police case is already been registered against him." 

The petition argues that mandating students to study this material while such serious allegations remain unresolved could create an uncomfortable academic environment and potentially cause distress to women students. Husna expressed concern about the impact on female students, stating that the situation was "contrary to the principles of gender justice that universities are duty-bound to uphold." Speaking to The Hindu, Husna indicated that the organization is considering legal recourse and would approach the Kerala High Court if the response from the Governor's office proves unsatisfactory.