Journalist Vinod K Jose Disinvited From St Thomas College Lecture Over ‘Controversial’ Tag (Image: Facebook)
Senior journalist and former executive editor of The Caravan, Vinod K. Jose, on Monday revealed that he was disinvited from delivering a lecture at St Thomas College, Pala, an incident he says speaks louder about the state of Indian democracy than the speech he was asked to give.
Vinod K. Jose had been invited to speak at the college’s annual TC Thomas Endowment Lecture, a prestigious event named after a former faculty member.
His topic was “The State of Indian Democracy.” However, on the morning of the scheduled lecture, he received a message informing him that the college management and principal did not want him on campus, describing him as a “controversial figure.”
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In a post shared on Facebook, Jose said this was the first time he had been disinvited from a public academic event.
While acknowledging that such experiences have become common in recent times, he described the first disinvitation as “sweet,” noting that it made him realise that his presence itself had become unsettling for certain audiences.
He added that with the disinvitation, the lecture had already been delivered without him speaking a word, as the decision itself explained the condition of Indian democracy.
St Thomas College, Pala, is one of the oldest colleges in Kerala and is managed by a Catholic diocese.
Reflecting on the incident, Jose pointed to what he described as a growing reluctance within sections of Christian institutions in Kerala to allow open and transparent conversations.
He expressed concern that some Christian-run educational spaces are increasingly aligning with the broader culture of censorship and silence, which he believes mirrors the politics of the RSS and BJP.
Jose also questioned the frequent complaint by Christian college managements that the quality of students is declining. He argued that the issue is equally about the quality of education being offered.
According to him, when institutions choose to censor ideas and restrict students from engaging with lived experiences and dissenting viewpoints, they undermine the very foundation of social science education.
He asked whether such institutions are nurturing independent thinkers or merely producing conformity in the name of tradition and faith.
The post triggered a strong response from academics, journalists and public intellectuals. Several commenters described the disinvitation as a “badge of honour” and an acknowledgement that Jose is asking uncomfortable but necessary questions.
Some suggested that he should publish the full text of the lecture he intended to deliver and circulate it among students across Kerala, especially in Christian colleges, through social media platforms.
Others expressed solidarity, saying that institutions that fear ideas must reflect on the kind of education they are providing. One commenter quoted the Bible, stating that fear has no place in spaces meant for learning and moral courage.
Another recalled attending a past academic event at the same college where political positions aligned with majoritarian narratives were openly endorsed, raising concerns about ideological selectivity rather than neutrality.
Vinod K. Jose, who hails from Wayanad and has studied at Columbia University and Columbia Journalism School in New York, has long been known for his work on politics, democracy and institutional power.
From relaunching The Caravan as a serious long-form journalism magazine to founding the Malayalam investigative publication Free Press, Jose has consistently focused on power, politics, and democracy in India.
His work is often compared to international publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Over the years, he has won national and international recognition for his journalism, even as he has faced multiple sedition cases for his reporting.
