Barkatullah University Must Remain Barkatullah University
Mohd Ziyaullah Khan | 06 June 2026 | Countercurrents
Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre, there has been a growing trend of renaming cities, roads, railway stations, and public institutions. While governments have every right to commemorate historical figures and cultural icons, the pattern of these changes has often raised concerns, particularly when institutions named after Muslim personalities become targets for renaming. The latest example is Barkatullah University in Bhopal.
On June 3, the university’s Executive Council passed a resolution proposing that the institution be renamed in honour of Goddess Saraswati, also known as Vagdevi, while drawing inspiration from Bhojpal, the ancient name of Bhopal associated with the Paramara dynasty ruler King Bhoj. Vice-Chancellor Suresh Kumar Jain confirmed the development to The Hindu. While supporters of the move may present it as an effort to reconnect with cultural heritage, critics see it as part of a broader political project that seeks to erase or diminish the contributions of Muslim figures from India’s public memory….