Jamiat Ulema opposes Barkatullah University renaming proposal:Say move insults freedom fighter’s legacy and wastes funds needed for improving education standards

The controversy surrounding the Madhya Pradesh government’s proposal to rename Barkatullah University as Vagdevi Bhojpal University has intensified, with religious and social organisations coming forward to oppose the move. Hafiz Ismail Baig, president of Jamiat Ulema District Bhopal, strongly criticised the proposal, describing it as an attempt to erase history. He urged the Chief Minister to immediately withdraw the decision. “Not just a name change, but an overlooked legacy” Baig said the issue goes beyond a simple name change and amounts to ignoring the contributions of one of India’s prominent freedom fighters. According to him, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali played a key role as Prime Minister of India’s first Provisional Government in Exile, established in Afghanistan in 1915. He was also among the founding members of the Ghadar Party and fought against British rule from abroad. Concerns over impact on Bhopal’s composite culture Baig alleged that renaming the university would also be a direct blow to Bhopal’s long-standing Ganga-Jamuni cultural heritage, a term used to describe the city’s tradition of communal harmony and shared cultural identity. He argued that removing the name of a Muslim freedom fighter from a major educational institution could deepen social divisions. Allegation of diverting attention from educational challenges Jamiat Ulema also accused the government of focusing on symbolic issues instead of addressing problems facing higher education. The organisation said universities across the state are already struggling with teacher shortages, weak research infrastructure and inadequate facilities. Spending crores of rupees on renaming an institution, it argued, would not serve the public interest and resources should instead be directed toward improving educational standards. Key demands raised by Jamiat Ulema The organisation has demanded that: Sarvadharma Sadbhavana Manch also opposes proposal The Madhya Pradesh Sarvadharma Sadbhavana Manch has also opposed the proposal. Its secretary, Haji Mohammad Imran Haroon, called the move inappropriate and said Barkatullah Bhopali was a respected educationist and freedom fighter who brought pride to Bhopal through his contributions to India’s independence movement. Haroon noted that Barkatullah’s role as Prime Minister of India’s first government-in-exile was historically significant and that changing the name of a university established in his honour would diminish that legacy. Call for government to reject the proposal Haroon urged the state government to reject the proposal approved by the university’s Executive Council. He said governments should focus on creating new achievements rather than renaming existing institutions. Instead of altering historically significant names, he suggested establishing new universities and preserving the heritage associated with existing educational institutions. He also stressed that educational institutions should remain free from political influence and that their original identity and legacy should be protected.