The University of Madras (UoM) has cancelled an endowment lecture scheduled for March 14 after its topic—”How to spread Christianity in India”—triggered widespread backlash from Hindus and Hindu groups on social media.
The Department of Ancient History and Archaeology had invited K. Siva Kumar, an engineer, to deliver the Sir S Subramania Ayyar Endowment Lecture 2024-2025, which included topics on Christian evangelism.
The invitation went viral on social media on Friday, with several Hindu groups and individuals questioning the relevance of the religious theme to history and archaeology. Critics labeled the lecture as an attempt to promote religious conversion under an academic platform.
Facing intense public pressure, the department announced the cancellation in a letter dated March 7, citing “administrative reasons.”
University sources told media that Registrar S. Elumalai, who was reportedly unaware of the topic, ordered the immediate cancellation and informed the Governor that the department had not sought prior approval for the lecture’s subject.
