Opposition slams KCHR chairperson appointment amid allegations of search panel bypass and resignations

Pinarayi Vijayan | Photo Credit: th-online Administrator A political controversy has erupted over the appointment of Vinodkumar Kallolikkal as chairperson of the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) with some members of the government-appointed search committee alleging that the prescribed selection process was bypassed.Two members of the panel have formally objected to the appointment, stating that Dr. Kallolikkal’s name was neither proposed nor discussed at any of its meetings. Besides, three prominent historians have resigned from the KCHR executive council. Prof. Kallolikkal, a faculty member in the Department of History at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, had assumed charge as the chairperson on November 7.Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticised the appointment and described it as a deliberate departure from KCHR’s institutional traditions. He pointed out that the council had previously been led by distinguished secular historians, including K.N. Panikkar, Michael Tharakan and K.N. Ganesh.‘Reduced to mere formality’Mr. Vijayan alleged that the government had reduced the search committee to a mere formality to facilitate the appointment of a candidate of its choice. He also claimed that the move was part of a broader saffronisation agenda and drew parallels with developments at the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). He went on to allege that the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education department was implementing the agenda with the Minister’s backing.The search committee, constituted on July 15, comprised the Principal Secretary of Higher Education B. Ashok, academics P. Sanal Mohan, V.J. Varghese, Jyoti Atwal. The Director of Collegiate Education, who also held additional charge as Director of KCHR, was designated as the committee’s convenor. In separate letters Prof. Mohan and Dr. Varghese registered their objections to the selection process. Both maintained that Dr. Kallolikkal’s name had never been proposed, discussed or considered during the committee’s two meetings which were held on September 1 and October 24.Questions conduct of proceedingsProf. Mohan also questioned Dr. Ashok’s conduct of the proceedings, alleging that he had assumed the role of de facto convenor despite being an ordinary member of the committee. He also objected to the bureaucrat signing the minutes of the October 24 meeting and issuing directions to the designated convenor. The controversy has also triggered resignations from the KCHR executive council. Historians Janaki Nair, Lakshmi Subramanian and Manu V. Devadevan have resigned in protest.To avoid inquiryHowever, official sources have defended the appointment and alleged that the resignations were orchestrated to avoid inquiry into purported irregularities during the previous administration’s tenure. They claimed that the previous leadership had undertaken irregular appointments during an executive council meeting on December 22 last, during which the KCHR director introduced three new members (Dr. Devadevan, Prof. Varghese and Shilpa Satheesh) without prior listing or the involvement of a mandatory search committee as mandated in the prescribed norms. An official inquiry is underway into the appointments.It is also alleged that Prof. Nair and Dr. Subramanian had already completeled their official terms and requested to demit office at the time. Withholding their formal exits until the new chairperson assumed office proved that their recent departure is not a principled objection to procedural misconduct.Besides, procedural violations had also been earlier flagged in the alleged move to appoint Dr. Devadevan as KCHR director following the resignation of Dinesan. V. A government order had invalidated the proposed selection process, observing that the KCHR executive council had failed to adhere to its framework. Published - November 11, 2026 05:42 pm IST