Indian attire for university convocations real tribute to Kalam: Ram Naik

“The convocation dress should be changed. If we use Indian attire in place of the existing convocation dress, it will be a real tribute to Dr Kalam as he also wanted to change it,” the Governor said in a letter issued to the vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of 23 universities of the state

Naik also quoted a statement given by Kalam earlier this year while addressing a convocation programme in Haryana. “We should take a vow to have our own dress code for convocations. Time has come to quit the British gown for such occasions,” Kalam had said.

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Naik asked the V-Cs to follow the path shown by the former President.

“Three days ago, I had held a meeting with the all the V-Cs. We discussed several issues including those pertaining to the academic session and timely convocations. As a follow-up of that meeting, I have now written to all the V-Cs fixing convocation date of each university in between October this year and March, 2016,” Governor told The Indian Express.

He said, “In the same letter, I have asked V-Cs to have an Indian attire for the convocations. While giving speeches, people talk of following in the footsteps of Kalam. I believe that if universities are able to achieve this in Uttar Pradesh, then it would be the actual tribute to him.”

Naik had raised the issue of “foreign attire” during convocations last year, too, and had suggested that V-Cs could consider changing it. He had pointed out that the dress code that is “continuing since the colonial era is not appropriate as per the Indian weather”. However, this time, Governor has asked the universities to “have an Indian attire” and asked the V-Cs to take appropriate decision at their own end and inform him in time before the convocation.

Naik further said that for the convocation at Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University in Lucknow, he had proposed the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest, whereas for Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science in Lucknow, he has proposed name of President Pranab Mukherjee as the chief guest. The dates for these two convocations have been left at the convenience of Prime Minister and President, respectively.

Last year, former Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva had criticized the ceremonial gown as “British colonial legacy”.