Delhi University may teach saint Kabir's couplets to MA Urdu students

NEW DELHI: Couplets of mystic poet and saint Kabir Das will be taught to students pursuing a Master's degree in Urdu at the Delhi University if proposed revisions to the first-year syllabus are approved by the university's Executive Council. The students will be taught a selection of 40 couplets from 'Kabir Bani' in the first semester as part of the revisions recommended by the Faculty of Arts, officials said.

Two readings for this purpose are proposed to be included in the syllabus of the first-year MA Urdu students by the Faculty of Arts. The suggested readings include --Kabir Bani by Ali Sardar Jafri and Kabir by Prabhakar Manchve. If approved, the changes in the syllabus may be executed from the 2024-25 academic session slated to begin in August.

The Faculty of Arts recommended these revisions in the syllabus of a paper titled "Basic Text: Early Urdu Literature", taught at the Department of Urdu. The decision to introduce the changes was taken by the faculty in a meeting held on February 19. It has been tabled for approval before the Executive Council, the highest decision-making body of the university, which will meet on July 27. The move is aimed at introducing students to the early literary traditions of the Deccan and North India, the programme brochure of the Department of Urdu said. "At the completion of this course, students will be able to understand and appreciate the classical poetry and prose in the context of early literary Urdu traditions," it said.

Under the proposed revisions, first-year students will begin their course content with "Kabir Ke Muntakhab Dohe" -- a selection of 40 dohas from Kabir Bani-- which will become a part of the Unit-1 of the course. Previously, students were taught "Sub-Ras" by Mulla Wajhi (first half) under Unit 1. The proposed revisions were ascended by DU's Academic Council, which met on July 12.