The Decision to Rename Barkatullah University Must Be Withdrawn Immediately.

Communal Politics Aimed at Erasing Our Shared Heritage and Shared History Will Not Be Accepted!-AISA

The Executive Council of Barkatullah University in Madhya Pradesh has passed a proposal to rename the university as “Maa Vag Devi Bhojpal University.” This decision is not merely about changing the name of a university; it is part of a larger political game plan underway in the country that seeks to rewrite history through a communal lens and erase the contributions of Muslims to India’s freedom struggle. The Vice-Chancellor of Barkatullah University has claimed that Maulana Barkatullah made no significant contribution to India’s freedom movement. it is an insult to a freedom fighter and a denial of his struggles and sacrifices.

Let us remember Barkatullah

Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali was born in Bhopal in 1854. He was a great revolutionary, scholar, and a freedom fighter who dedicated his entire life to India’s independence. He played a crucial role in the Ghadar Movement. While living abroad, he worked to further organize Indian migrants and revolutionaries and sought to build international support for India’s freedom and against British imperialism. After arriving in the United States, he came into contact with leaders of the Ghadar Party and played a significant role in its propagation and ideological development. Through Ghadar and other revolutionary publications, he spread the message of resistance against British rule among Indians and the Indian diaspora.

During the First World War, he was also actively involved in the Ghadar Party’s plan to overthrow British rule. He lived in several countries, including Japan, England, the United States, Germany, Russia, and Afghanistan, where he worked to mobilize international support against British imperialism. His role in the Ghadar Movement demonstrates that India’s struggle for independence was not confined to its geographical boundaries but was the result of the collective efforts of Indian revolutionaries across the world.

The First Provisional Government and Maulana Barkatullah

In 1915, under the leadership of Raja Mahendra Pratap, the first Provisional Government of India in exile was established in Kabul. Maulana Barkatullah served as its Prime Minister. In recognition of his historic contribution, Bhopal University was renamed Barkatullah University in 1988.

The Politics of Erasing Shared History

Today’s, politics centered on renaming cities, roads, railway stations, and institutions is taking place across the country. While people are confronted with pressing issues such as unemployment, inflation, education, and healthcare, the BJP government is creating controversies around history and names in order to divide society.

The proposal to rename Barkatullah University is another link in this chain. It is not merely a change of name; it is an attempt to weaken the shared legacy of India’s freedom struggle, in which Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis, and people from all communities fought together against British colonial rule.

Is the Legacy of Muslim Freedom Fighters Being Erased?

In recent years, interpretations of history that marginalize the contributions of Muslim freedom fighters have increasingly been promoted. The BJP government is making continuous efforts to downplay or remove from public memory the contributions of great freedom fighters such as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Maulana Barkatullah and others.

We Demand That: