University in India-occupied Kashmir Recommends Dropping Jinnah, Muslim Thinkers from Syllabus Amid Protests

Panel Recommends Removal of Jinnah Topics from Kashmir Syllabus

A panel at the University of Jammu in India-occupied Kashmir has recommended removing topics related to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, and Muslim educationist and reformer Syed Ahmad Khan from its MA Political Science syllabus. This decision follows protests by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on the university campus against the inclusion of a chapter on Jinnah’s political thought in the syllabus.

The ABVP, student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The committee headed by Professor Naresh Padha forwarded the recommendation to the Board of Studies for discussion on Tuesday.

ABVP’s state secretary in Jammu and Kashmir, Sannak Shrivats, told the newspaper that Jinnah was portrayed as the leader of minorities in India in a chapter titled “Minorities and Nations”. Baljit Singh Mann, head of the political science department, argued that inclusion of Jinnah and other thinkers is consistent with curricula followed by universities across India and norms of the University Grants Commission. He also stated that an unnecessary controversy was being created and the university does not promote any ideology but presents diverse viewpoints for critical evaluation.