Anurag Kumar
Members of the governing body verified that the Academic Council of Delhi University voted on Friday to remove a chapter on Pakistan’s national poet Muhammad Iqbal, also known as Allama Iqbal, from the political science curriculum.
Iqbal, who was born in 1877 in Sialkot, undivided India, composed the popular melody “Saare jahan se achha.” He is also credited with conceiving the ‘concept of Pakistan’.
The chapter titled “Modern Indian Political Thought” is part of BA’s sixth-semester paper, according to university officials, who added that the matter will now be presented to the university’s Executive Council, which will make the ultimate decision.
In the meantime, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) greeted the news.
“A motion was introduced to amend the political science curriculum. According to the motion, the chapter on Iqbal has been removed from the curriculum, said a member of the Academic Council.
The news agency PTI assessed a unit on Iqbal titled ‘Iqbal: Community’ that is included in the curriculum.
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The course consists of eleven units designed to examine significant themes through the lens of individual philosophers.
Included in the course are Rammohan Roy, Pandita Ramabai, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, and Bhimrao Ambedkar, among others.
The syllabus states that the course is intended to introduce students to the richness and diversity of Indian political thought.
The course aims to equip students with a critical understanding of contemporary Indian thought, according to the description.
“The purpose of the thematic exploration of ideas is to situate contemporary debates on significant topics along a historical trajectory and to reflect on the diverse possibilities displayed in the writings of the respective thinkers,” the document continued.
The ABVP, meanwhile, applauded the decision, claiming that the “fanatical theological scholar” Iqbal was responsible for India’s partition.
“The academic council of Delhi University decided to remove Mohd Iqbal from the political science curriculum. It was previously included in the sixth-semester BA paper titled “Modern Indian political thought,” according to an ABVP statement.
“Mohammed Iqbal is referred to as the ‘philosophical patriarch of Pakistan’. He was instrumental in establishing Jinnah as the Muslim League’s leader. Mohammad Iqbal is just as culpable for the partition of India as Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” it continued.
