As the news of ‘eminent historian’, Irfan Habib, heckling Kerala governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, went viral on social media, the usual suspects came out to defend him. NDTV, The Wire, The Hindu, and The Telegraph, published stories and did videos on the episode that happened in Kerala, and tried to pin blame on the Kerala governor.
The Wire published story titled, “At History Congress, Irfan Habib Leads Dissent Against Kerala Governor’s Defence of CAA” and wrote that “the latter (Habib) was merely registering his protest.” The media house framed the whole story in a way that, Arif Mohammed Khan looked like culprit of the whole event.
The Telegraph, the infamous newspaper from Kolkata, turned the whole episode as mere ‘backlash against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act’. “Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan faced slogans and placards for criticising demonstrators against the CAA-NRC,” wrote The Telegraph.
NDTV, the leader of left-liberal media establishment, whitewashed all the deeds of Irfan Habib and that of other protestors and raised the question on the conduct of Arif Mohammed Khan. The media house published a story titled “Protesters In-Audience Are “Stinking Potholes”: Kerala Governor’s Shocker,” and wrote that ‘The Governor’s opprobrium at an event on 28th December has provoked severe criticism.’
NDTV even showed the episode in a TV package, and put the blame on the Arif Mohammed Khan.
According to Historian Irfan Habib, he tried to stop the governor because he was going into things that were no concern to the IHC. According to him, the university administration invited Khan and other political leaders.
However, the reality is as following: The CPM Rajya Sabha member K.K. Rajesh, who spoke before the governor, blamed the central government of reviving the history. Even Irfan Habib, who spoke before the governor, raised questions on the CAA and criticized the central government, when Khan started response against all the political points raised by the previous speakers, the sloganeering by the protestors started. They used foul language against the governor; Habib rose from the seat and tried to stop the governor physically.
“Inaugural meet of Indian History Congress does not raise controversies. But at the 80th session at Kannur University, Shri Irfan Habib raised some points on CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). But, when Hon’ble Governor addressed these points, Sh. Habib rose from seat to physically stop him,” said the governor of Kerala.
This is how a governor of an Indian state is treated, by leftist fake historians. And then THEY talk about #Intolerance. #IrfanHabib is a thug, who can not tolerate anyone holding a point of view different from his. https://t.co/PvvsrtewKc
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) December 28, 2019
As evident in the video, Irfan Habib was rattled when the chief guest Arif Mohammad Khan quoted Maulana Abul Kalam Azad during a scathing speech. Habib told him to ‘quote Godse’ while other delegates also made their anger known.
The act by the ‘eminent historian’, who enjoyed the fruits of being a Congress supporter, exposes the kind of intolerance ‘left-liberal establishment’ have towards the people who do not agree with their version of truth.
Habib is son of Mohammed Habib, a Marxist historian from Aligarh Muslim University, and grandson of Mohammed Naseem, a wealthy barrister and a member of Congress party. He was professor of History at AMU and later appointed as Professor Emeritus after retirement.
Habib identifies himself as Marxist historian and another Marxist historian and economist-Amiya Kumar Bagchi, who is also President-elect of IHC- described him as “one of the two most prominent Marxist historians of India today and at the same time, one of the greatest living Marxist historians of India between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries.”
The incident happened at the 80th session of Indian History Congress, being held at Kannur University (Khan is Chancellor of the University through his position as Governor of Kerala) under the leadership of Vice-chancellor Prof. Gopinath Ravindran.