On January 20, 2026, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) canceled a lecture by scholar Kedar Mishra, reportedly in response to government pressure.

The lecture was organized under the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Odia Chair, a program dedicated to the Odia language, literature, and cultural studies within the Faculty of Arts at BHU. Mishra, a senior journalist and poet, was scheduled to discuss the works of Bhima Bhoi, a 19th-century Odia saint and philosopher renowned for his advocacy of social equality.

Upon his arrival at the university, organizers informed Mishra that the event had been canceled because the government opposed his participation. Mishra, a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, later posted on Facebook that he would continue to speak “more forcefully against the forces who act against democracy and the constitutional values of India.”

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the last-minute cancellation of a previously approved on-campus event, apparently in response to pressure from members outside the university community. Higher education leaders should respect academic freedom by refraining from restrictions on academic activity. Attempts to limit academic discussion and exchange undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://theorissatoday.com/bjd-slams-odisha-govt-over-kedar-mishra-lecture-cancellation/
https://pragativadi.com/bjd-slams-odisha-govt-over-cancellation-of-kedar-mishras-lecture/
https://www.bhu.ac.in/site/UnitHomeTemplate/1_3394_6853
https://www.facebook.com/kedar.mishra/posts/are-we-still-living-in-a-democracyvery-consciously-i-am-asking-this-question-my-/10224307952565593/