Creating a New Medina | TADBEER Academy
TADBEER Academy hosted the inaugural session of the Bazm-e-Fikr Study Circle, bringing together participants to read, discuss, and question pivotal chapters of history and identity through Venkat Dhulipala’s acclaimed book, ‘Creating a New Medina: State Power, Islam, and the Quest for Pakistan in Late Colonial North India.’
The session opened with an in-depth discussion challenging the long-standing post-colonial claim that Pakistan was conceptualized as ‘secular first, Islamic later.’ Participants critically examined the pre-1947 political consciousness across South Asia, focusing on how Muslim political imagination was already deeply structured around notions of justice, community cohesion, and moral order long before statehood became a territorial reality.
Exploring the fundamental debate, whether Pakistan was born out of an intentional ideological vision or an unintended political accident—the circle analyzed early elite debates and public discourses prior to 1937. The central consensus reached during the gathering was that Pakistan was imagined and designed as a moral and political project well before taking form as a physical, territorial nation-state.
The study circle offered an intimate floor-seating environment designed for open dialogue, where attendees actively referenced text passages, engaged in collaborative questioning, and shared insights on how historical political visions shape contemporary identity.
Photo & Video Highlights
Session Summary & Logistics
• Program Series: Bazm-e-Fikr Study Circle (Session 1)
• Core Text: Creating a New Medina by Venkat Dhulipala (Chapters 1 & 2)
• Organizer: TADBEER Academy
• Date & Schedule: Thursday, 22 January | 2:00 PM Onwards