JAMMU: A panel of University of Jammu on March 22 recommended that topics on Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and Muhammad Iqbal be removed from the MA Political Science syllabus at Jammu University’s Department of Political Science.
Officials said the recommendation was made at a meeting of the departmental affairs committee held on Sunday. This comes amid a controversy over the inclusion of Jinnah in a chapter on “minorities and nations” in the syllabus of postgraduate courses at the department.
Earlier, Jinnah had appeared in a chapter on the “two-nation theory”, said Sannak Shrivats, ABVP’s J&K state secretary, who led a protest on campus. However, in the revised syllabus, Jinnah appears in a chapter on “Minorities and the Nations”, Shrivats said, arguing that this portrayed him as a leader of minorities in India.
Notably, the inclusion of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the Political Science syllabus had drawn strong objections from student organizations and local residents.
The Department of Political Science at Jammu University included a chapter related to Jinnah in its new syllabus titled “Modern Indian Political Thought.” The main reason for the controversy is that Jinnah is being taught alongside great national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and BR Ambedkar.
Students and organizations opposing the move argue that a person who divided the country on religious lines and led to the displacement and violence affecting millions should not be placed on par with the great figures of India’s freedom struggle. They say that including a controversial personality like Jinnah in the syllabus could create confusion among the younger generation regarding history. They also claim that it is an attempt to weaken the core values of the freedom movement.
Earlier, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also protested against this. The organization’s state minister, Sanak Srivats, has issued a clear warning to the university administration that any form of “glorification” of Jinnah will not be tolerated. He also demanded the immediate removal of chapters related to Jinnah from the syllabus. ABVP has alleged that the university administration is either knowingly or unknowingly promoting a divisive ideology.
Sannak Shrivats said teaching about Jinnah and the others was unacceptable, as these were the same individuals who propounded the two-nation theory and were responsible for Partition.
Earlier, the Jammu University administration has defended its decision, stating that including any subject or individual in the syllabus does not imply endorsement. According to the administration, it is academically necessary for Political Science students to understand the history of Partition and the ideologies associated with it.
Head of the Political Science Department, Baljit Singh Mann had argued that references to Jinnah and other thinkers are purely academic. He added that the syllabus is in line with curriculum followed in other universities across the country and conforms to UGC standards. He also stated that any change or removal of the syllabus could harm students.
The recommendation has been forwarded to the Board of Studies (BoS) for consideration. The BoS is scheduled to meet on March 24 for further deliberation on the matter.
