Hyderabad: Bahujan activist Prof Kancha Ilaiah’s statements in support of naming the Koti Women’s College after freedom fighter Chakali Ilamma raked up a new controversy, against which he gave an explanation on Wednesday, December 25.

During the statue unveiling of freedom fighter Doddi Komuraiah held in Gudur mandal of Mahabubababad district on Monday, December 23, addressing the gathering Ilaiah said that there were intellectuals who were asking him why he suggested the state government to name the Mahila University after Chakali Ilamma, who was uneducated.

“I asked them whether Tirupathi Venkanna or his wife Padmavathi were educated. Chakali Ilamma was a great warrior who cleaned society by washing clothes. All the girls here should take a pledge that they will study in this university, and we will ensure that they will become intellectuals,” the professor said.

The issue drew criticism from certain sections of media and debates on social media.

Explaining the intent of his statements, he said that he was only trying to remind the critics that when universities could be named after gods and goddesses, for example, Sri Venkateshwara University and Padmavathi University in Andhra Pradesh being named after them.

“When I was trying to impress upon my critics that the names of universities need not be viewed in relation to education, some channels are trying to start debates which can lead to confusion. For the first time in the country chief minister Revanth Reddy named a university after a woman coming from the most backward class,” he said.

He said that the comparison between the university names was done just to keep educational credentials of those on whom the universities were named out of the discussion or decision of the governments.

“By creating a controversy on this issue, it will only harm the university. There is an argument that naming a university after an uneducated woman is not right, and students will not join such a university. Another argument is against using the word ‘Chakali,” he observed.

He said that Chakali (dhobi) is her name and identity and that there were not only Sri Venkateshwara University and Padmavathi University named after gods, but there were also universities named after Gautam Buddha and Lord Jesus.

“Nowhere does the discussion about the education of these gods come up. In that case, giving reference to Chakali Ilamma’s educational credentials is not right, which is my opinion. That kind of debate will only lead to preventing women from studying in that university,” he clarified.