CPI MP Binoy Viswam writes to Education Minister against ‘counter-terrorism’ course being offered in JNU

New Delhi, Aug 31: Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam has written to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan against the new course on counter-terrorism to be taught to engineering students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

 

 

The MP has raised objection to ‘prejudiced & inaccurate nature of the material being included in JNU course titled Counter-Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts & Strategies for Cooperation among Major Powers’. The course asserts that “Jihadi terrorism’ is the only form of “fundamentalist-religious terrorism”, and that the erstwhile Soviet Union and China were the “predominant state-sponsors of terrorism” that influenced “radical Islamic states”.

 

 

In the letter, the CPI leader said that it is deeply unfortunate that higher education is being used as a platform to communalize and politicise geopolitical issues through the presentation of half-truths and academically dishonest information. "Distorting history in an attempt to serve the vested political and communal interests of a certain ideology, the contents of the course make incredulous assertions pertaining to global terrorism and political regimes that have supported it," he added.

 

 

These statements are not only historically inaccurate they are also deeply prejudiced and politically motivated, he said. The MP further added that the authorities who drafted and approved the curriculum have acted in an irresponsible manner that goes against the very ethos of education and critical thinking that has been the hallmark of eminent institutions like the JNU.

 

The Rajya Sabha MP appeal to Dharmendra Pradhan to immediately intervene in this matter and ensure that the University undertakes a comprehensive review of this course material through a committee of senior professors who are experts on this subject matter and ensure such biased curriculum is not allowed.

 

 

Jawaharlal Nehru University has drawn widespread outrage over its new course on counter-terrorism for engineering students pursuing a dual degree program. Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Academic Council on August 17 cleared the new optional course. Despite the fact that this paper is optional, engineering students will learn how to deal with terrorism and the role of world powers in this regard.