Minister for Education, Mr Naeem Akhtar Tuesday said that limiting legendary poet Sir Mohammad Iqbal to a particular community or to a particular religion is “ironical” as his poetry is an inspiration for the entire mankind.The Minister said this during “Iqbal Day” function organized by Government College for Women, M A Road here today.Speaking about the love of Iqbal with his past, the Minister said by going through Iqbal’s poetry one could easily see how he was trying to connect himself with the glorious past of Kashmir as he was in love with his roots, and we are trying to create walls of hatred.“In my opinion Iqbal is like water which is fundamental for life. You can color water as you like, you can change its flavor with poison or sweeten it with honey. That is what we did to Iqbal,” Mr Akhtar said.
“We have trivialized Iqbal by naming our roadside dhabas, restaurants and even our marriage halls on his name. His poetry is being distorted and corrupted by literature printed at the back of trucks and three-wheelers. We don’t even repeat the actual words the great poet had actually said,” he said.
Calling on academicians to dwell upon Iqbal’s life to figure out how he is connected with our lives, the Minister said that his poetry is in our conscience therefore, the onus is on academicians to promote his literature in truthful form and with correct pronunciation.Mr. Akhtar referred Iqbal as the most modern Islamic thinker of his times and said that it was the great poet himself who gave the concept of “global competition.”The Minister said that there was a time when world used to discuss the Islamic literature, Islamic culture, Islamic architecture, but now it is subsumed and is reduced to the condemned one word of “Islamic terrorism”.Asking the girls to fight for their rights, the Minister said; “Unless and until you stand up to fight for your rights no one will help you. Society sometimes deliberately tries to suppress the girl and deprive her of her rights. ”He said our youth need to reorient themselves, and should give up their reluctance to move out of Kashmir.“Despite the fact that our people are doing business everywhere in India, however, ironically when it comes to government jobs our youth are reluctant to move out,” the Minister said.He reiterated on the youth to not only grab, but also to create the opportunities so that we in future would not be relying on any package or any support.“Your visa to go to any place would not be determined by your religion or the place you are from but your potential and talent will take you to places. Take your culture, your values along with you will become the poster boy or poster girl of valley and that is how you would realize Iqbal’s vision for the youth,” he said.The function was also attended by Chairman, JKBOSE, Zahoor Ahmad Chat; Nodal Principal, Professor Mohammad Aslam Baba; Principal, Government College for Women, M.A. Road, Shaheen Altaf along with principals from other colleges, the college faculty, and students.Earlier the Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed “multipurpose hall” of the college.