Row over Jammu university proposal to drop Iqbal, Sir Syed from syllabus
J&K Minister, BJP leader oppose move
A day after a University of Jammu (JU) committee recommended removing topics on Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Muhammad Iqbal from the MA Political Science syllabus, a row erupted, with political leaders, including those from the BJP, questioning the move.
The controversy began last week after ABVP staged protests in Jammu demanding the removal of a chapter on Jinnah from the MA Political Science syllabus. Subsequently, a committee was constituted by Vice Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai to review the curriculum, which reportedly recommended dropping the three figures from the syllabus.
Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana termed the recommendation by the university’s Political Science Department to exclude Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as a “laughable, anti-scholarly act of intellectual vandalism”.
“By erasing these foundational figures of political thought, University of Jammu is transitioning from a site of critical pedagogy into a propaganda apparatus for RSS supremacism. This is a deliberate attempt to manufacture ideological bigots rather than nurturing inquisitive citizens. JU must stop acting as a laboratory for historical revisionism. It should instead leverage its academic autonomy to promote a culture of dialectical inquiry and intellectual pluralism, encouraging students to think critically rather than become passive recipients of propaganda,” the minister said in a statement.
Interestingly, BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal has written to the Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan opposing the proposed removal of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Allama Muhammad Iqbal from the MA Political Science syllabus.
“I have formally appealed to the Union Minister of Education regarding the University of Jammu’s recommendation to remove Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Allama Muhammad Iqbal from the MA Political Science syllabus. This move is deeply concerning. Erasing figures who shaped modern Indian thought, education and intellectual awakening reflects a narrow and selective approach to academia. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan stood for reform and rational education, while Iqbal’s legacy continues to inspire generations,” Sirwal said in a social media post.
“Khan played a historic role in promoting modern and scientific education, and his efforts laid the foundation of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became the Aligarh Muslim University. Iqbal’s philosophical thought and his patriotic verse 'Saare Jahan Se Achha' remain an enduring part of India’s intellectual and cultural heritage,” Sirwal said.
He added that at a crucial time for social cohesion in J&K, such decisions risk distorting history rather than strengthening it. “I have urged immediate intervention to ensure this is reconsidered. Education must reflect the full spectrum of our intellectual heritage, not curated exclusion,” he said.
