Indian Institute of Management Jammu Faces Backlash Over Mandatory Modi Birthday Lamp Lighting and Fines
Photo: Collected
A fierce political and social controversy has erupted across neighboring India following mandatory directives issued to light lamps to mark the 76th birthday of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17.
The mandate, distributed across both government and private sectors, sparked intense backlash particularly over an order issued by the authorities at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Jammu. The institution instructed all students to attend a lamp-lighting ceremony to pray for the Indian Prime Minister's well-being, warning of a 500-rupee fine for non-attendance.
According to a circular published by the IIM Jammu Students Council, participation was strictly compulsory. The directive stated that absence would only be excused in cases of severe illness, verified by a medical certificate from an authorized doctor confirming the student was confined to bed. No other excuses were accepted, and absent students faced the financial penalty.
The ceremony took place in front of the administrative building of IIM Jammu, attended by local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Yudhvir Sethi and IIM Jammu Director Professor B. S. Sahai. Several students who skipped the event were subsequently issued disciplinary notices requiring a justification within 24 hours or face the fine, though IIM Jammu authorities later claimed that no fines were ultimately collected and that unnecessary controversy was being stirred up.
The directive drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Syed Nasir Hussain, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress in-charge, questioned why participation in a Prime Minister's birthday celebration should be made compulsory in an educational institution, or why such promotional duties should be forced upon academia. Bihar Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and parliamentarian Sudhakar Singh also condemned the event, sarcastically suggesting the Prime Minister's Office should instead formally decree that anyone refusing to chant slogans or praise the Indian Prime Minister would be barred from admission to IIMs and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The controversy widened over the weekend when Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi took to the social media platform X, following his participation in the Chatra Ki Goonj event in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. Gandhi criticized the administration for spending crores of rupees on state-wide birthday illuminations while failing to allocate funds for student hostels, noting that many female students are forced to drop out due to housing shortages.
Social media protests also emerged. Abhijit Dipke, a leader of the Cockroach Janata Party, posted a video showing a single burning lamp placed inside a dilapidated, doorless tribal school building, stating that the ruined structure symbolized twelve years of governance under the Indian Prime Minister.
Across BJP-ruled states including New Delhi, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, schools, colleges, and government offices were ordered to celebrate the day—termed the Blessing Lamp initiative—by lighting lamps and submitting video proof. The events formed part of a month-long BJP campaign running until October 17 titled Seba Sankalpa Abhijan.
Human rights organizations have also strongly condemned the government-backed drives. The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) criticized the initiative as sycophancy, warning that it systematically stifles independent thought and secular values to cultivate a class of flatterers.
