In the latest syllabus change, Delhi University (DU) has decided to include a section of V D Savarkar, the formulator of Hindutva idealogy, in BA (Political Science).
The decision was made in the recently held academic council (AC) meeting. Savarkar will now be included in the fifth semester whereas the readings on Mahatma Gandhi have been moved to the seventh semester.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Alok Ranjan who is also a member of the academic council said he is not in agreement with the syllabus change.
“Earlier, Savarkar was not part of the syllabus, whereas Gandhi was taught in the fifth semester. Now, they have included Savarkar in the fifth semester, Ambedkar in the sixth, and Gandhi in the seventh. While we have no objection to Savarkar being introduced, he should not be taught before Gandhi and his teachings,” Ranjan was quoted by the Hindustan Times.
The inclusion of Savarkar adds to the list of controversies in syllabus change by the DU authorities.
On May 27, DU decided to remove a chapter on renowned Urdu and Persian poet Muhammad Iqbal from the political science syllabus. The news was confirmed by the academic council.
Born in 1877 in Sialkot in undivided India, Iqbal wrote the famous song ‘Saare jahan se achha’. The move created quite a stir but DU vice-chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh through Iqbal is remembered for his composition, he never believed in those words.
Speaking to ANI, the vice-chancellor said, “I don’t know why we were teaching his (Muhammad Iqbal’s) part in the syllabus for the past 75 years. I agree that he served India by composing the popular song ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’ but never believed in that.”
On condition of anonymity, a council member said the decision was not unanimous. “A lot of people objected to the removal. However, the arguments were made by the majority that his contribution to the Partition outweighed any other positive contribution,” Hindustan Times quoted the anonymous council member.
NSUI protests against Savarkar inclusion
With Savarkar’s entry into the DU syllabus, students affiliated with the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Wednesday staged a protest outside the VC’s office alleging the decision was made following pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central Government.
There is also a proposal to drop a Philosophy course focusing on the works of Dr BR Ambedkar.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to the university administration opposing the changes to the syllabus.
“The Delhi University administration recently decided that an elective course on the philosophy of Dr BR Ambedkar will be removed from the Philosophy (Honours) undergraduate programme. It is also proposed to teach Savarkar in the Political Science course,” the NSUI said in a statement.
The NSUI demanded that instead of removing Ambedkar from the elective course, an additional chapter should be added on him and efforts made to motivate the students to do maximum research on him.
Kunal Sehrawat, the Delhi unit president of the NSUI, said in the release that Ambedkar was an indigenous thinker of the social aspirations of the majority of the country’s people.
Nitish Gaur, the NSUI’s national secretary, said the university is including the chapter on Savarkar under pressure from the BJP government at the Centre.
“The NSUI will start a big movement if the course is not removed and ensure that history is not taught to the students by distorting it, the truth of Savarkar’s cowardice will be conveyed to every student,” Gaur told the students.
(With inputs from agencies)
