'No Political Conversation': Afghan Foreign Minister's Visit to Darul Uloom Deoband Draws Large Crowds

Lucknow: Afghanistan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to the historic Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh on October 11 drew an extraordinary crowd of students and locals, marking a rare moment of engagement between the Taliban leadership and one of India’s most influential Islamic institutions.

Speaking to the reporters while entering in the Islamic seminary, Muttaqi said he saw a bright future for relations between India and Afghanistan. Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani hailed Afghanistan’s resistance against world powers and drew parallels between Kabul’s struggles and India’s fight for independence.

A day ago, Muttaqi's press conference in New Delhi was marked by the exclusion of women journalists. A Deccan Herald report noted that while the seminary had said that the women reporters would be seated behind the curtains in the library, where the Afghan minister was scheduled to deliver a speech, women reporters who had gone to cover the event were allegedly not allowed inside.

Muttaqi, who arrived at the Deoband campus amid welcome chants and showers of flower petals, expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended to him. “The warmth I have received here from the scholars of Deoband and the people of this region is unforgettable,” he said while briefly interacting with reporters. “Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but everyone here has welcomed me with immense affection. The future of India-Afghanistan relations looks very bright.”

Maulana Arshad Madani, who hosted the Afghan foreign minister, connected Afghanistan’s long wars against Russia and the United States with India’s own anti-colonial movement. “Just as India fought against the British to secure its freedom, Afghanistan fought and defeated two superpowers – the Soviet Union and the United States,” Madani said. “The Afghan people were inspired by the spirit of resistance of India’s freedom struggle.”

He also told those present that India’s early freedom fighters, particularly the religious scholars of Deoband, had found moral and strategic support in Afghanistan during the independence movement. “Our relationship with Afghanistan is not just scholarly but historical,” Madani said. “Our elders once chose Afghan soil as a base to challenge British power. Now, Afghanistan has shown similar courage against global powers.”

Cancellations

The event, however, did not go exactly as planned. A public address by Muttaqi, scheduled for around 3 pm, was canceled at the last moment, causing confusion among attendees. Darul Uloom Deoband’s media in-charge, Ashraf Usmani, told The Wire, “The Afghan foreign minister was expected to stay for nearly five hours, but his team decided to leave early, and he returned around 2.30 pm.”

Usmani also confirmed to the Wire that only about 65 of Deoband’s nearly 5,000 students are from Afghanistan. Speaking on the cancellation, Maulana Arshad Madani said, “The minister had already interacted with the students, but the officials accompanying him insisted on him returning early. We told them that if they wished to leave, they were free to do so.”

Despite the cancellation, the atmosphere at Darul Uloom was charged – people expressed excitement and reverence. Thousands of students gathered at the entrance, many trying to catch a glimpse of the visiting dignitary. As Muttaqi’s convoy entered the campus, students surrounded his vehicle, showering flowers and chanting welcoming slogans. Several young men tried to shake hands or take selfies with him, leading to brief chaos as security personnel struggled to manage the crowd.

The situation prompted local police to step in and disperse the gathering to maintain order. Because of the commotion, the planned guard of honor for the visiting minister had to be canceled.

Yet, the mood remained jubilant as students waved enthusiastically.

Inside the seminary, the Afghan minister attended a special session devoted to Hadith studies, where senior scholars of Deoband explained the institution’s long-standing educational and spiritual role in the Muslim world.

'No political conversation'

Responding to questions from journalists about whether any political discussions took place, Maulana Madani clarified that the meeting was entirely focused on religion and education.

“There was no political conversation,” he said. “We spoke only about faith and learning."

"There used to be a perception that Afghan soil was being used for terror activities in India. But now it has become clear that Afghanistan will not allow any anti-India or extremist elements to operate from its land. This is the beginning of a new phase in our relations,” says Madani.

“During India’s freedom struggle, our elders found refuge and support in Afghanistan,” he added.

Darul Uloom Deoband’s administration echoed the same sentiment. The seminary’s media officer Ashraf Usmani described the Afghan minister’s visit as symbolic. “Muttaqi is a guest of our country, and we welcome him with respect. His visit carries educational and cultural significance,” he said. “Darul Uloom’s doors are open to everyone and policy is allied with the external policy of our country," said Usmani.

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