In Punjab, India, a university professor was fired over an alleged offensive comment regarding the Hindu god Ram. In an Instagram post published by the university on April 23, the professor was terminated “effective immediately.”
Gursang Preet Kaur is an assistant professor at the Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, northern Punjab. Kaur allegedly referred to Ram as a “cunning person,” putting the Hindu god in a bad light.
According to the IndianExpress, a video grabbed from a presentation during a discussion showed Kaur making the comments. In the video, Kaur said, “Actually, Ram is not a good person by heart.”
“Ram is not a good person at all. Ravana is a good person,” she added.
In Indian mythology, Rama’s wife, Sita, was kidnapped by Ravana. After Rama saved her from Ravana, Sita needed to prove her “purity.”
Most Hindus see Rama as a revered deity associated with righteousness and chivalry.
Kaur’s comment demolishes the standing view associated with Rama. In the video circulated on social media, Kaur insisted that Rama is a “cunning person” and that Ravana is the good guy.
Hi @lpuuniversity how your professor Gursang Preet Kaur still working with you after abusing about Hindu gods.. i was think this is the correct time to #boycottLPU pic.twitter.com/qSMQmFjt1H
— Prince Sharma (@alwyssmile16) April 23, 2022
Kaur accused Rama of planning to trap Sita and “put all the blame on Ravana.”
“How can I decide who is good and evil, and the whole world is worshipping Ram and saying that Ravana is a bad person,” Kaur added.
In their statement, the university quickly distanced itself from Kaur’s comment. “We wish to clarify that the views shared by her are absolutely personal, and the university does not endorse any of them,” the statement said.
“We have always been a secular university, where people from all religions and faith are treated equally with love and respect,” it added.
According to local reports, the context of the video is not yet clear; however, Kaur’s comments caused outrage online. One Twitter user challenged the university asking why Kaur is still employed after abusing a Hindu god.
