Citing multiple reasons, including security, the State government has decided to conduct the ceremony to confer Calicut University’s honorary Doctor of Literature (DLitt) degree on Sharjah ruler Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on September 26.
The decision follows a meeting between Governor P. Sathasivam and Calicut University Vice Chancellor K. Mohammed Basheer on Monday. Earlier, the government had decided to shift the venue from the university campus at Thenipalam to Kozhikode city attributing security concerns and lack of facilities at the university and in view of the Assembly bypoll at Vengara.
The sources also said that the Governor was unable to travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode next week as he was recuperating from an illness. The Sheikh Sultan will also make a courtesy call on the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of all Universities, at the Raj Bhavan on September 25.
The Sheikh Sultan is flying down on an invitation from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who called on him last year during his three-day visit to the UAE.
The Calicut University Syndicate had decided to confer honorary doctorates on Sheikh Sultan along with actor Mohanlal and ace athlete P.T. Usha at the same function. But the Ministry of External Affairs had flagged the decision of the university to confer D.Litt on all three of them simultaneously. “This not only would raised security concerns but also would show that India is discourteous to a ruler of an emirate and member of the Supreme Council of UAE, a country which has recently developed a strong bilateral relationship,” the sources said.
Now a separate function will be held later to honour Mr. Mohanlal and Ms. Usha who had agreed to the postponement of the ceremony. Earlier controversies had rocked several universities on conferring honorary degrees to littérateurs and judges at the same function.
Calicut University had decided to confer D.Litt on 78-year-old Sheikh Sultan in recognition of his contributions to academics, culture and literature. He has authored several books on history.