NID Ahmedabad postpones convocation scheduled on Feb 7 due to 'unforeseen circumstances'

The management of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has postponed its convocation that was scheduled to be held on Friday (January 7) due to "unforeseen circumstances".

Although the management is tight-lipped about the reason for the postponement, it is believed that the "autonomous" institute was under pressure for inviting well-known danseuse (a female ballet dancer) and activist Mallika Sarabhai as the chief guest as she had been at loggerheads with the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi since the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

Sarabhai had not only criticised Modi but also filed a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that Modi and state functionaries were "complicit" in the riots. Sarabhai has also been vocal in protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the city and was spotted at several such protest rallies.

On Monday, the institute sent out emails to graduating students stating that "On behalf of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, we deeply regret to inform you that the 40th convocation scheduled on Friday, February 7, 2020, stands postponed due to unforeseen circumstance." It also stated that a new date for the ceremony will be announced soon. It doesn't state the reason behind the postponement.

"The government was not happy with Mallika Sarabhai presiding over the event as chief guest. For the past one week, negotiations were on how to somehow allow the event to happen. We requested the government officers that invitations were out, nearly 300 students are graduating and their parents had already booked tickets to come to Ahmedabad. But all our requests went unheeded," a source in the institute said on the condition of anonymity.

NID is a grant-in-aid autonomous body that falls under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.