The Delhi University’s decision to drop a chapter on Allama Muhammad Iqbal from the Political Science syllabus has come as a shock to many who take pride in the rich poetic Punjabi heritage.
Poet Muhammad Iqbal falls in the same league as Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sahir Ludhianwi, Hafiz Jalandhri, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Amrita Pritam, Waris Shah. Iqbal has been one of the precious jewels of Punjab. His poem on Guru Nanak is read out with deep adoration by the Sikhs.
Punjabiyat would have remained incomplete without the contribution of Iqbal. People of my generation have grown up hearing songs like Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara and Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Ban Ke Tamana Mere. Even today India takes pride in these songs.
Punjabis have been taunted for their culture and language lacking sophistication. The land of Punjab is often considered rustic and carefree with intellectual thinking. People who symbolise language, like Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi or Majaz, were born outside Punjab.
But the city of Sialkot in Punjab proved this to be wrong. It produced a great poet and a towering philosopher in the name of Iqbal. In poetry, he is seen as an extension of Ghalib and his philosophy is no less than Voltaire or Tagore. Such was Iqbal’s vision and understanding of times that even after 110 years, his Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa are relevant for Muslims across the globe.
Calling Iqbal the promoter of the idea of Pakistan, the Academic Council of Delhi University, which is the final authority to take decisions on curriculum, has decided to pull out portions on Iqbal from the syllabus. Iqbal was taught under the course ‘Indian Political Thought II’ under the sub-unit of Urdu poets, thinkers and authors.
The right wing academia that succeeded in pushing out Iqbal from the syllabus argues that the one who propagated the Two-Nation Theory and division of Akhand Bharat cannot be taught to Indian students. “A person who mooted the idea of breaking India cannot be taught as a national hero,” says Professor Sangit K. Ragi. He is associated with the university’s History department.
Ragi, who has authored the book, ‘RSS and Gandhi - The Idea of India’, argues that theories of Iqbal caught at the bachelor’s level be replaced with theories proposed by Gandhi, Ambedkar and Savarkar.
Professor Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University, who was known for his liberal views, also supports the idea of doing away with a chapter on Iqbal. He endorses the view that those who laid the foundation of breaking India should not be a part of the syllabus.
For about a decade now, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, attempts have been made to wipe out history that has anything to do with Islam or Muslims – from renaming roads and cities named after Muslim rulers to influencing academic curriculum. Iqbal is the most recent casualty.
It is unfortunate to see the shrinking number of intellectuals, who till a few decades ago believed that every individual’s personality and thought evolves with time, as did Iqbal’s – from the idea of Sare Jahan Se Acha to a separate nation for Indian Muslims. Instead liberal thinking has given way to extremist viewpoints.
An attempt to remove Iqbal from the syllabus was made in 1990s as well. But, back then, a majority rejected this idea.
For the time being, at the Delhi University, Iqbal’s thoughts and ideas have been shelved. A section of teachers, who have voiced dissent against this move, feel that such decisions are depriving students of reading choices – and that poets and philosophers cannot be bracketed within religion and national boundaries. Just as students are allowed to read Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, so should they be exposed to Iqbal and other Muslim philosophers.
“We did not oppose the introduction of Savarkar last year because students should be allowed to read diverse views,” says a professor of the Political Science department, who did not want to be named fearing reprisal. (It would be pertinent to mention here that liberal thinkers who oppose Savarkar’s ideas dominate the department).
While right wing historians tend to draw a parallel between the ideas of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Savarkar, the left has often equated Iqbal’s viewpoint with that of Gandhi. Both Gandhi and Iqbal spoke about political sovereignty and autonomy. “Both wanted independence from colonisers. Gandhi upheld rights of Dalits and Harijans and Iqbal spoke for Muslims,” adds the professor. It was only in the last two decades of his life, as the political situation unfolded that Iqbal moved from Sare Jahan Se Acha to a separate homeland for Muslims.
Iqbal’s contribution towards establishing the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia cannot be ignored. The two campuses were established to promote education among Muslims. Many including Mahatma Gandhi wanted Iqbal to take over as the first Vice Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia University. Iqbal politely declined the offer. And while the Delhi University has excluded Iqbal from the syllabus, he continues to be popularly read at the Aligarh and Jamia. Both universities also have buildings named after him. But in these times of refabricating and renaming, how long will Iqbal stay alive on these campuses is only a matter of time.
In Iqbal’s own words:
Agar Kho Gya Ek Nasheeman To Kya Gham, Maqamat-e-Aah-o-Faghan Aur Bhi Hain
(What is the worry if one nest is lost? There are other places to sigh and cry for!)
Poet Muhammad Iqbal falls in the same league as Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sahir Ludhianwi, Hafiz Jalandhri, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Amrita Pritam, Waris Shah. Iqbal has been one of the precious jewels of Punjab. His poem on Guru Nanak is read out with deep adoration by the Sikhs.
Punjabiyat would have remained incomplete without the contribution of Iqbal. People of my generation have grown up hearing songs like Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara and Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Ban Ke Tamana Mere. Even today India takes pride in these songs.
Punjabis have been taunted for their culture and language lacking sophistication. The land of Punjab is often considered rustic and carefree with intellectual thinking. People who symbolise language, like Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi or Majaz, were born outside Punjab.
But the city of Sialkot in Punjab proved this to be wrong. It produced a great poet and a towering philosopher in the name of Iqbal. In poetry, he is seen as an extension of Ghalib and his philosophy is no less than Voltaire or Tagore. Such was Iqbal’s vision and understanding of times that even after 110 years, his Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa are relevant for Muslims across the globe.
Calling Iqbal the promoter of the idea of Pakistan, the Academic Council of Delhi University, which is the final authority to take decisions on curriculum, has decided to pull out portions on Iqbal from the syllabus. Iqbal was taught under the course ‘Indian Political Thought II’ under the sub-unit of Urdu poets, thinkers and authors.
The right wing academia that succeeded in pushing out Iqbal from the syllabus argues that the one who propagated the Two-Nation Theory and division of Akhand Bharat cannot be taught to Indian students. “A person who mooted the idea of breaking India cannot be taught as a national hero,” says Professor Sangit K. Ragi. He is associated with the university’s History department.
Ragi, who has authored the book, ‘RSS and Gandhi - The Idea of India’, argues that theories of Iqbal caught at the bachelor’s level be replaced with theories proposed by Gandhi, Ambedkar and Savarkar.
Professor Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University, who was known for his liberal views, also supports the idea of doing away with a chapter on Iqbal. He endorses the view that those who laid the foundation of breaking India should not be a part of the syllabus.
While the Delhi University has excluded Iqbal from the syllabus, he continues to be popularly read at the Aligarh and Jamia. Both universities also have buildings named after him. But in these times of refabricating and renaming, how long will Iqbal stay alive on these campuses is only a matter of time.
For about a decade now, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, attempts have been made to wipe out history that has anything to do with Islam or Muslims – from renaming roads and cities named after Muslim rulers to influencing academic curriculum. Iqbal is the most recent casualty.
It is unfortunate to see the shrinking number of intellectuals, who till a few decades ago believed that every individual’s personality and thought evolves with time, as did Iqbal’s – from the idea of Sare Jahan Se Acha to a separate nation for Indian Muslims. Instead liberal thinking has given way to extremist viewpoints.
An attempt to remove Iqbal from the syllabus was made in 1990s as well. But, back then, a majority rejected this idea.
For the time being, at the Delhi University, Iqbal’s thoughts and ideas have been shelved. A section of teachers, who have voiced dissent against this move, feel that such decisions are depriving students of reading choices – and that poets and philosophers cannot be bracketed within religion and national boundaries. Just as students are allowed to read Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, so should they be exposed to Iqbal and other Muslim philosophers.
“We did not oppose the introduction of Savarkar last year because students should be allowed to read diverse views,” says a professor of the Political Science department, who did not want to be named fearing reprisal. (It would be pertinent to mention here that liberal thinkers who oppose Savarkar’s ideas dominate the department).
While right wing historians tend to draw a parallel between the ideas of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Savarkar, the left has often equated Iqbal’s viewpoint with that of Gandhi. Both Gandhi and Iqbal spoke about political sovereignty and autonomy. “Both wanted independence from colonisers. Gandhi upheld rights of Dalits and Harijans and Iqbal spoke for Muslims,” adds the professor. It was only in the last two decades of his life, as the political situation unfolded that Iqbal moved from Sare Jahan Se Acha to a separate homeland for Muslims.
Iqbal’s contribution towards establishing the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia cannot be ignored. The two campuses were established to promote education among Muslims. Many including Mahatma Gandhi wanted Iqbal to take over as the first Vice Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia University. Iqbal politely declined the offer. And while the Delhi University has excluded Iqbal from the syllabus, he continues to be popularly read at the Aligarh and Jamia. Both universities also have buildings named after him. But in these times of refabricating and renaming, how long will Iqbal stay alive on these campuses is only a matter of time.
In Iqbal’s own words:
Agar Kho Gya Ek Nasheeman To Kya Gham, Maqamat-e-Aah-o-Faghan Aur Bhi Hain
(What is the worry if one nest is lost? There are other places to sigh and cry for!)