IIT Mandi has ordered an inquiry into a controversial poster displayed on its campus that was based on the Bhagavad Gita. The poster stated that Shudras “should serve the upper castes.” Director Laxmidhar Behera said the students had misinterpreted the scripture, and the institute has distanced itself from the poster’s message.
Director Behera himself has long been associated with the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He teaches a three-credit course on the Gita at IIT Mandi and founded the proposed Bhaktivedanta University, an initiative linked to ISKCON.
“Some students interpreted the Gita in their own way. I have constituted an inquiry committee. It was a student-led event,” Behera said on Sunday. He emphasised that both he and the institute are opposed to caste-based discrimination.
In an email sent to the IIT Mandi community on Sunday, titled “Strong condemnation of the poster recently displayed on campus,”
In an email sent to the IIT Mandi community on Sunday, titled “Strong condemnation of the poster recently displayed on campus,” Behera expressed that he was “shocked” to learn about the poster, which was put up during the Janmashtami celebrations on September 4. He stressed that the institute had not supported it “in any way.”
“I have personally fought against any form of caste-based discrimination on every platform. I have set up an inquiry committee in this matter to ensure that the institute’s campus is never used for such violations of social harmony. I extend my full empathy to those members of our community who have been hurt by this incident,” he wrote.
Director Behera stated that the institute is committed to upholding “equality, social justice, scientific temper,” and other principles enshrined in the Constitution. “The institute strongly condemns any form of caste-based discrimination,” he said in the email. He sought the cooperation of the campus community to “stand united against such prejudices/discrimination in any form.”
Behra stated that the poster was prepared as part of a student event. A committee has been constituted to investigate the matter, comprising faculty members and representatives from various social categories, including Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.
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