IIT Kanpur Director says not probing Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poem
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar has clarified that a probe committee set by up by the reputed institute is not probing renowned poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poem. A controversy kicked up after students of IIT Kanpur sang "Hum Dekhenge" penned by Faiz Ahmad Faiz during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019.
"The reality is that the institute has received complaints from multiple sections of the community that during a protest march taken out by students certain poem was read out and then subsequently certain social media posts were made, which were inflammatory," IIT Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar was quoted as saying by Telegraph. The IIT Kanpur director further described “very misleading” the reports claiming that the institute had set up the committee to decide whether the poem by Faiz was anti-Hindu or not.
On December 17, 2019, the students of IIT Kanpur were carrying out a march in the campus against the Citizenship Amendment Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students. A student recited the poem 'Hum Dekhenge' by Faiz against which a complaint was filed by Dr Vashimant Sharma, a temporary faculty member, and 16 others, including faculty members and students.
The complainant alleges that the poem provokes anti-Hindu sentiments. The written complaint filed by them with the IIT-Kanpur director states that the poem had some words that could hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
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