Delhi University removes chapter on poet Iqbal from BA course
Pakistan
Iqbal changed ideology from a united India to the idea of Pakistan due to Hindu prejudice
NEW DELHI (Web Desk) – The Delhi University has remove a chapter on poet Muhammad Iqbal from the political science syllabus for the under graduates, The Hindu reported on Saturday.
The newspaper quoted Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who presided over the meeting, as saying that those “who laid the foundation to break India should not be in the syllabus” and emphasised on “teaching Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar more and more.”
According to the report, the Academic Council of the university adopted a resolution after a 15-hour-long meeting that ended at 1:20 am on May 27. Students studied Iqbal as part of a chapter titled “Modern Indian Political Thought” in the sixth semester of the B.A. programme.
Born in 1877 in Sialkot, Iqbal’s poetry revolved around a Hindustan that was ‘Saare jahan se achha’ (the best in the world), the poem which is a theme of Indian military band. The poet-philosopher was later forced to change his ideology from a united India to the idea of Pakistan due to Hindu prejudice towards Muslims.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), meanwhile, welcomed the development.
“A motion was brought regarding a change in the syllabus of political science. As per the motion, there was a chapter on Iqbal that has been removed from the syllabus,” said an academic council member.
A unit on Iqbal titled ‘Iqbal: Community’, which is part of the syllabus was reviewed by Press Trust of India.
There are 11 units as part of the course with the objective to study important themes through individual thinkers.
“The course has been designed to give students a glimpse into the richness and diversity within the Indian political thought,” the syllabus mentions.
The course is aimed to equip students with a critical understanding of modern Indian thought, it adds.
“The thematic exploration of ideas is meant to locate the topical debates on important subjects on a historical trajectory and reflect over the diverse possibilities exhibited in the writings of the respective thinkers,” it further stated.
Meanwhile, the ABVP welcomed the move, saying “fanatic theological scholar” Iqbal was responsible for India’s partition. Not too long ago, the Uttar Pradesh government had dismissed a Muslim schoolteacher for using Iqbal’s prayer by a youngster: “Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri.”
“Delhi University academic council decided to scrap fanatic theological scholar Mohd Iqbal from DU’s political science syllabus. It was previously included in BA’s sixth-semester paper titled ‘Modern Indian political thought’,” the ABVP said in a statement.
“Mohammad Iqbal is called the ‘philosophical father of Pakistan’. He was the key player in establishing Jinnah as a leader in Muslim League. Mohammad Iqbal is as responsible for India’s partition as Mohammad Ali Jinnah is,” it added.
