The Mamata Banerjee government has instituted national and international research chairs in the name of spiritual leader Sitaramdas Omkarnath at the state-run Biswa Bangla Biswabidyalay — an unprecedented move seen by many as an attempt to woo Hindu voters, particularly followers of the religious sect.

Sitaramdas Omkarnath (February 17, 1892 – December 6, 1982) was a pre-eminent Indian Vaishnav saint and a major figure of the 19th-century Bhakti movement. His sect, the Jaiguru Sampradaya Mission, reportedly has nearly five crore followers across the country, including more than 50 lakh in Bengal. Creating research chairs in his name is therefore expected to help Mamata Banerjee gain the support of the guru’s disciples and followers.

“We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Omkarnath Mission, which has a prominent cultural and philosophical background. The posts, to be named the Anantasri Sitaramdas Omkarnath National Chair and International Chair, will serve a significant purpose for the university, particularly in the fields of art, culture, and yoga. These chairs will strengthen the academic landscape of Bengal and provide scholars with a platform for research and knowledge,” said Dilip Kumar Maiti, vice-chancellor of Biswa Bangla University located in Santiniketan.

The announcement comes in the backdrop of the mass recitation of the Bhagavad Gita by nearly five lakh people, scheduled for December 7, and the controversy surrounding the laying of the foundation stone of a proposed Babri Masjid in Murshidabad’s Beldanga by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir. The Bhagavad Gita recitation will be organised by the saffron ecosystem.

“The Mission and sect are not only religious platforms; they are also well-connected with scholars across the country and abroad. This collaboration will help us bring eminent artists and scholars to teach on our campus. I sincerely thank chief minister Mamata Banerjee for this initiative,” said Maiti, who also acknowledged that dedicating an academic chair to a religious leader was unprecedented in Bengal.

Academics noted that chairs at universities were traditionally instituted in the names of polymaths or prominent academics. For instance, Calcutta University hosts several renowned chairs, including the Mahatma Gandhi Chair and the B.R. Ambedkar Chair.

“I do not support naming such a chair after any spiritual or religious guru, as it may send an inappropriate message to people of other communities. The tradition has been to institute chairs in the names of eminent personalities such as Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, or leading scholars from various fields,” said academic Pabitra Sarkar.

Sources in both the Omkarnath Mission and Biswa Bangla University, however, said the chairs were intended to promote interdisciplinary research in Indology, social sciences, Indian philosophy, Bhakti traditions, literature, language, and cultural studies. The chairs will be funded by the state higher education department.

“On behalf of the entire Mission, Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuja Maharaj, acharya and president of the Akhil Bharat Jaiguru Sampradaya, extends his appreciation to chief minister Mamata Banerjee for establishing chairs in the name of Sitaramdas Omkarnath. The chairs will operate under the guidance of the university in accordance with government norms,” said Kinkar Priyanath Chattopadhyay, president of the
Omkarnath Mission.

“We believe these chairs will evolve into vibrant centres of research, scholarship, and cultural enrichment, offering future generations the opportunity to engage with the profound wisdom of Sri Sri Thakur Omkarnath and to carry forward his universal message of compassion and upliftment,” Chattopadhyay added.

Sources said Mamata was likely to visit the Mission’s headquarters in Dunlop in the third week of this month to inaugurate several projects.

Observers view the move as more political than academic, believing it is aimed at wooing Hindu voters, similar to initiatives such as the construction of the Jagannath temple in Digha and the Durga Angan project in Calcutta.

“With many professor posts lying vacant and Biswa Bangla University itself facing a shortage of permanent faculty, setting up a chair in the name of a religious guru appears to be a purely political move to attract the large sect associated with him,” said political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty.

“BJP’s efforts to consolidate the Hindu vote bank have posed a challenge for Mamata Banerjee, prompting her to counter by honouring a spiritual leader of a particular sect to draw its members to her support base,” Chakraborty added.