By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: While Aligarh Muslim University has been closed for an indefinite period following protest and hunger strike by students over the murder of a student of the university on 25th of last month, the protesting students have now made New Delhi their battleground demanding resignation of the Vice Chancellor.
The dharna being organized by recently formed AMU Students Struggle Committee began yesterday at Jantar Mantar on Parliament Street in New Delhi and will continue for indefinite period. They have put four demands — resignation of the VC and termination of the “corrupt” AMU administration top the list. They are seeking an appointment with Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibbal to press for their demands.
Other demands of the protesting students are immediate restoration of academic activities in AMU, immediate declaration of AMU Students Union, and no disciplinary action against the protesting students.
A section of the AMU students have been holding protest since October 25 when AMU student Shahnawaz Alam was murdered outside the university campus by unidentified persons. When the AMU authorities failed to persuade the agitators who were sitting on hunger strike inside the campus, the AMU VC Prof P K Abdul Azis took the decision to close the university for an indefinite period.
When TCN asked the protestors numbering hardly three dozens sitting at dharna at Jantar Mantar why they — a handful of students – forced the AMU administration to close the university and thus put the future of thousands of students in jeopardy, Irfan Khan, Secretary of AMU Students Struggle Committee said they did not force the university administration to close it sine die.
“We did not force AMU administration to close AMU sine die. We have been very peaceful. We have been only demanding the resignation of the VC and restoration of AMU Students Union because it is the only platform which can provide strength to students. We are students of mass communication. We have been so keen in our study and we can’t think of disturbing the academic atmosphere of the university. Classes were going on peacefully but all of a sudden on October 29 the VC announced closure of the university sine die,” said Irfan Khan who is doing Ph.D. in mass communication at AMU.
At regular intervals, the protestors were making slogans such as AMU VCc ko jana hoga (AMU VC must go), AMU parshashan murdabad (Down with AMU administration), Kapil Sibbal VC ko barkhast karo (Kapil Sibbal must sack the VC), students union bahal karo (Restore students union).
When Khan asked why they were demanding the resignation of the VC when the murder has taken place outside the AMU campus, he said: “This is not the issue, whether the murder has taken place inside the campus or outside the campus because the VC and his team are solely responsible for the security and safety of students. There are 30 thousand students studying at AMU, so he is responsible for the murder of the student.” There have been four murders in the last two years. First three murders have taken place inside the campus, Khan added to strengthen his point.
It is said that under the regime of the present VC Prof Azis, the academic atmosphere in AMU has improved. But Khan is not ready to accept it.
“How can a corrupt VC claim so. He is so corrupt that HRD Ministry has already initiated an enquiry in this regard. He has been put under the charges of corruption. He is alleged to have paid his income tax through AMU fund.”
When the enquiry into alleged corruption is on why are you demanding the VC’s resignation?
Khan said that besides corruption another reason for the demand of the VC’s resignation is that he has not restored the students union and thus suppressed the right to freedom of speech.
“The VC over the last 27 months has been violating the constitution of India by violating the fundamental right of freedom of speech.”