Jammu, March 23: Jammu & Kashmir Minister, Javed Ahmed Rana has strongly condemned the reported recommendation by the Department of Political Science at Jammu University to remove Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan from its academic curriculum, describing the move as “a laughable, anti-scholarly act of intellectual vandalism.”
In a post shared on X, the Minister expressed serious concern over what he termed an attempt to erase foundational figures of political and intellectual thought.
He emphasized that such actions are contrary to the core values of higher education, which must be grounded in critical thinking, inclusivity and engagement with diverse intellectual traditions.
The Minister cautioned that the exclusion of these eminent thinkers risks undermining the academic integrity of the institution.
“By erasing such pivotal voices, Jammu University risks transitioning from a space of critical pedagogy into a platform that promotes ideological conformity,” he stated, adding that universities must serve as centers for nurturing inquisitive and informed citizens rather than promoting narrow or exclusionary narratives.
Highlighting the importance of academic autonomy, Javed Rana urged the university to exercise its independence responsibly.
He stressed that autonomy should be used to broaden intellectual engagement and encourage rigorous debate, not to enable selective reinterpretations of history.
“Educational institutions must not become laboratories for historical revisionism driven by ideological motives,” the Minister said.
“They must instead cultivate a culture of dialectical inquiry and intellectual pluralism, encouraging students to question, analyze and engage with multiple perspectives.”
The Minister called upon the university administration, academic bodies and wider civil society to reflect on the long-term implications of such decisions and to uphold the sanctity of educational institutions as spaces for free thought, diversity and scholarly excellence.
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