By Prof. P.K. Abdul Azis,
It is truly a travesty of the glorious traditions of AMU, a fraud on the whole concept of students’ rights and a grossly unethical practice to exploit a painful occasion of deep grief. It was with great personal agony that I have been watching closely the unfolding events in the University in the last couple of days. Those who are aware of the events of AMU in the last two decades know that the University has been tormented by periodic disturbances incited by certain groups of people with well entrenched vested interests. Every time, they were exploiting students to create trouble and ‘fish’ in the troubled waters. It is painful that, in AMU, Vice-Chancellors are never allowed to carry forward meaningful work.
The murder of a student outside the campus should have evoked widest possible sympathy and compassion to the deceased and the bereaved family. But in AMU, certain forces instead of mourning the death of the boy, have launched an unwarranted agitation with a slogan to dislodge the Vice-Chancellor, the Proctor, and the DSW, and thus create anarchy and confusion in the campus. It is a well known fact that the University cannot be blamed for the death of a non-resident student outside the precinct of the campus.
It deeply pains me, that after the dastardly murders of three students in 2007, perpetrated by different groups of conspirators, they are not allowing the Aligarh Muslim University to return to a normal level of functioning, enabling students from Schools to Colleges to attain excellence in their studies.
This periodic cycle of murders of innocent students and the subsequent effort to dislodge the Vice Chancellor exploiting sentiments of the students have become a familiar pattern in AMU. It is not a coincidence that during the period of my immediate predecessor these forces succeeded to start the Students’ Union. Soon the campus slipped into the hands of goons and criminals. In 2007 the University had vacated about 1500 illegal occupants residing in the University Hostels. They indulged in looting, burglary, chain snatching, and other crimes including murder of innocents. Students’ leaders and their supporters used the murder of two students in the campus in early 2007 a pretext to dislodge the then Vice Chancellor. They created serious law and order situations in the University resulting in the resignation of the Proctor, the Dean, Students’ Welfare, Registrar and ultimately the Vice Chancellor had to flee from the campus for fear of his life. Is this not a vulturization of the magnificent AMU culture?
It has sent shockwave to me and every discerning soul that a handful of students could vitiate the atmosphere of an extremely pleasant and vibrant teaching and learning environment prevalent in the Aligarh Muslim University. It is a real tragedy that those who “finance and control them” from outside are coming out supporting the ‘satanic’ forces who are bent upon fomenting unrest in the University. I appeal to parents, students, ex-students and well-wishers of AMU to isolate and reject these forces from our society. Please extend your support to our sincere efforts of maintaining a peaceful and tranquil environment in the University.
The closure of the University again is a painful event. It shows that the same forces are powerful. I have tried my best to avoid that. Teachers of AMU were extremely supportive of keeping the University open. But the agitating students did a great deal of damage to AMU by bringing people having dubious and criminal background from outside to the University campus, and incited the students. Some political party workers also added fuel to the students sitting in Dharna by giving inflammatory speeches, sowing hatred and vengeance in the University campus. They created uncertainty and fear of violence and further killings in the campus. Numerous attempts were made by hundreds of senior teachers in many groups to persuade the small bunch of agitators who were out to plunge the University in crisis but they remained unrelenting. The decision to close the University was taken after lengthy deliberations with Deans of Faculties, Principals of Colleges, some local members of the Executive Council and senior functionaries of the University. The University will be opened as soon as the situation stabilizes.
The same forces who were foisting unfounded allegations against me are in continuous ‘VC – hunting’ mode. Their aim is to “fish” in troubled waters. The University Court and the Executive Council elected me with the largest ever number of votes in AMU history. But, ever since I began to function independently, I began to experience opposition from a small group who is dominating the University affairs for about two decades. My endeavour has been always democratic. All statutory bodies were activated and all decisions were taken in the best traditions of democracy.
Constitution of numerous Committees to elicit opinions from the academic community and experts from outside and Students Grievances Re-dressal Committees providing a monthly platform for students to express their grievances are vehicles for democratic functioning. I also interact with students on a one-to-one basis. The group of dissenters is causing enormous harassment to me. As a Vice Chancellor, they should allow me to function in accordance with the rules and powers vested in me.
To find a lasting solution to the genuine problems of the students, a Committee of Deans is working on list of grievances to be addressed to. The University also intends to activate the development projects for which money is already available and built up a system that help the students and teachers to excel in their endeavours.
I appeal to all students and parents to isolate these handful misguided students and their invisible mentors and cooperate with the administration in running the University and its maintained institutions in a very peaceful and academically vibrant manner.
(Prof. P.K. Abdul Azis is Vice Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University)