Odisha Government Faces Opposition Over Renaming Medical College After Controversial Figure

The Mohan Charan Majhi government in Odisha has decided to rename the Phulbani Government Medical College and Hospital in Kandhamal district after Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a veteran ideologue of the Sangh Parivar. The decision has drawn strong opposition from all Left parties in the state.

In a joint statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI (ML)-Liberation, and the All India Forward Bloc argued that a government medical college and hospital is a public service institution dedicated to people of all religions, castes, communities, and classes. They said it should be named after a personality who commands universal respect and whose life embodies the ideals of humanity, social harmony, and public welfare.

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was killed by CPI (Maoist) in 2008, an event that triggered one of the worst episodes of anti-Christian violence in Odisha. The Left parties expressed concern that associating his name with a government institution could rekindle memories of long-standing communal tensions in Kandhamal and other parts of the state.

“There have been serious social and political controversies surrounding his activities for many years,” said CPI (M) state secretary Suresh Panigrahi. “In public perception, the Sangh Parivar veteran has been linked with issues such as religious polarisation, communal tensions, and social divisions in Kandhamal. Naming a government medical college after such a controversial figure runs contrary to secular constitutional values, threatens social harmony, and represents an attempt to use history for political purposes.”

The Left parties also raised concerns over the government’s approval of a grant of ₹13 crore for Laxmanananda’s Ashram, school, and girls’ hostel. They alleged that using public funds to promote any particular ideological or communal agenda goes against the principles of a democratic and secular system of governance as enshrined in the Constitution.

The parties demanded that the institution be named after tribal freedom fighter Chakra Bisoyi. “Chakra Bisoyi is one of the greatest heroes of Odisha’s freedom struggle. He organised the Kandha tribal community of the Ghumusar-Kandhamal region and led a prolonged armed guerrilla struggle against British colonial rule. He dedicated his life to protecting his land, forests, water, culture, and self-respect,” the statement read.