Dedicated winter training sessions are needed to bridge NEP 2020 with the wisdom of Allama Iqbal, Mehjoor, and Rehman Rahi as their metaphors hold the key to holistic, creative learning
Muntashir Kifayat Hussain
In contemporary education in Kashmir, we have forgotten the great and unparalleled personalities rooted in our culture. Whether we have lost the link between modern education policies such as NEP 2020 and these luminaries, or failed to study their enduring relevance and the pearls of wisdom they have stored for us, the disconnect is palpable.
Including discussions on their contributions within winter teacher-training programmes could revolutionise our present education system with remarkable results. We need dedicated training sessions in Kashmir to explore the relevance and compatibility of these historical figures—personalities like Iqbal, Mehjoor, and Rehman Rahi, whom we Kashmiris have heard about since childhood from our parents and grandparents. The key lies in seeking the connection between their teachings and modern educational frameworks. Such an effort, led by well-read scholars in the field, would have a profound impact on both educators and students.
One such towering personality is Allama Iqbal (RA). Let us explore how his thoughts resonate with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. At its core, NEP 2020 emphasises holistic development, skill-based proficiency, critical thinking, creativity, experiential learning, and innovation.
Iqbal stressed the development of individuality and self-awareness, aiming to create confident and self-reliant individuals. He expressed this through powerful metaphors, such as in these verses:
Tu shaheen hai, parwaaz hai kaam tera,
Tere samne aasman aur bhi hai.
(You are a falcon, flight is your purpose. There are many more skies before you.)
Here, Iqbal uses the falcon as a metaphor for a life of aspiration, self-belief, and continuous striving—an ideal that aligns with holistic development.
In Shaheen (Baal-e-Jibril), he writes:
One must shun the garden dwellers; they have such seductive charms!
The wind of the desert is what gives the stroke of the brave youth fighting in battle its effect.
I am not hungry for pigeon or dove, for renomination is the mark of an eagle’s life.
To swoop, withdraw and swoop again is only a pretext to keep up the heat of the blood.
East and West, these belong to the world of pheasant,
The blue sky… Vast, boundless… Is mine.
These lines symbolise strength, independence, and spiritual elevation—qualities that students and teachers alike should embody in pursuit of holistic growth and creativity.
Iqbal consistently urges individuals to transcend the ordinary and embrace arduous paths to greatness:
Qanaat na kar alam-e-rang-o-bu par,
Chaman aur bhi, aashiyan aur bhi hain.
(Do not be content with the world of colour and scent;
There are other gardens, other nests too.)
He encourages sensory engagement with the world, moving beyond rote learning to deeper understanding:
Mehfil-e-qudrat hai, ek darya-e-bepayan-e-husn,
Aankh agar dekhe to har qatre mein hai toofan-e-husn.
(The assembly of Nature is a fathomless ocean of beauty;
If eyes were to see, every drop contains tumultuous beauty.)
Iqbal also recognised the importance of global education and scientific progress:
Quwwat-e-Maghrib az aleem-o-fun ast,
Az hameen aatish charaghash roshan ast.
(The power of the West comes from knowledge and skill;
It is from this very fire that their lamp is lit.)
Furthermore, Iqbal stressed moral and spiritual growth—values deeply reflected in his vision of a well-rounded individual who is intellectually capable, morally upright, and spiritually grounded. This aligns perfectly with the societal contribution envisaged in NEP 2020. He writes:
Door duniya ka mere dam se andhera ho jaye,
Har jagah mere chamakne se ujala ho jaye.
Ho mera kaam ghareebon ki himayat karna,
Dardmand-o-zaeefon se mohabbat karna.
(May the world’s darkness vanish by my breath,
May every place be lit with my radiance.
May my life’s work be to support the poor,
And to show love to the suffering and the weak.)
Iqbal taught children to be confident, resilient, courageous, sublime, and sincere. He emphasised upholding one’s originality and creativity—principles that are central to NEP 2020. In his own words:
Love is not by nature ignoble like lust.
You can’t expect the flight of a fly from a falcon’s wings.
The way of the garden cannot be changed, thus—
The nightingales should grow sick of their nests like a cage.
The pupil in the schools looks alive, nay, he is dead;
He has borrowed his breath from the Franks.
If you wish to nourish your heart, you need only the stray look of a man of faith.
By reconnecting with Iqbal’s timeless philosophy, we can breathe life into the structural aspirations of NEP 2020—creating an education system that not only imparts knowledge but also nurtures character, creativity, and conscience.
The writer is a teacher and academic mentor at Boys High School, Narabal
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