By TCN News,
Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) team led by Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis received a mass welcome at Bagdogra airport as thousands of people came to receive the AMU team. They took them in a convoy of 150 vehicles from Bagdogra airport to Kishanganj, almost 100 kilometers.
The AMU team was on a visit to Kishanganj to inspect 250 acres of land identified by Bihar government for establishing Special Centre of AMU under the provision 12(2) of AMU Act.
AMU VC Prof. P. K. Abdul Azus welcomed by the District Magistrate of Kishanganj Mr. Firaque Ahmad
Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis made a detailed inspection of the site and discussed the various aspects relating to the transfer of land with the Collector of Kishanganj, Mr. Feraque Ahmad and other district officials. The AMU team also had an interaction with the local people who lived in the vicinity of the proposed land.
The visiting team was accompanied by Lok Sabha Member from Kishanganj, Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi, the Collector of Kishanganj district, Mr. Feraque Ahmad, the MLA of Kishanganj, Mr. Akhtarul Imaan, MLA of Purnea district, Mr. Jaleel Rahman, another MLA of the area Mr. Gopal Agrawal and a team of district officials.
The Vice Chancellor has expressed satisfaction about the location of the site but has suggested to the district officials that the land should be contiguous and in one piece instead of being scattered in three pieces. The Vice Chancellor has further stated that the management and administration, security related issues, maintenance of discipline, building of common facilities and easier access to both students and staff necessitate having the Centre in one place.
The Collector and other officials present expressed confidence that the suggestion of the Vice Chancellor could be managed by finding out appropriate solution.
The common people of the area as well as the elites of the district urged the Vice Chancellor to bring the AMU Centre to Kishanganj at any cost. A delegation comprising intellectuals of the Kishanganj district also met the AMU team and urged the Vice Chancellor to see that their dream of having a modern educational institution with a glorious past is translated into reality.
The Kishanganj Public Reception Committee organized a banquette in honour of the Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis at Madrasa Anjuman-e-Islamia. The programme was attended by a large number of people of the area.
AMU VC Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis along with Kishanganj MP Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi and DM Mr. Firaque Ahmad inspecting the proposed land for AMU Special Centre
Addressing the gathering, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Azis said that the enthusiasm, love and affection showed by the people of Kishanganj touched the heart of AMU visiting team and the University is set to establish the state-of-the-art centre at a place which is one of the most backward districts of the country so that not only the Muslims but also the people of surrounding regions get an access to quality education.
Tracing the genesis of Aligarh Muslim University’s efforts in the direction of educational uplift, he said that the alarming situation raised by Sachar Committee and the suggestions made in the Fatmi Committee have drawn AMU’s attention on taking the historical initiative of establishing five special centres across the country including Kishanganj so that the minorities who are the most excluded social class get access to education.
Prof. Saud Alam Qasmi, Dean, Faculty of Theology, AMU said that the initiative is going to benefit all the people irrespective of caste, creed and religion. He said that the Aligarh Muslim University is a citadel of secularism. On the one hand, it is having the Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology and on the other, it has the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. There is a Begum Sultan Jahan hostel and the Sarojini Naidu Hall for girls at the same time. Saheb Singh Verma, former Chief Minister of Delhi, Bheem Singh, President of Panthers’ Party and a host of other non-Muslims are its proud alumni. Like the sun, AMU spreads its light among every one without any discrimination.
While welcoming the AMU team, the Member of Parliament from Kishanganj, Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi said that the coming of AMU to Kishanganj is like a dream turning into reality. Presenting the statistics, he said that hardly 31% people of the region are literate and the literacy among Muslims is at 24%. Maulana Qasmi hoped that by the establishment of AMU Centre the situation is likely to change as access to education is going to become easier for all.
The Collector of the district, Mr. Feraque Ahmad, SP Dr. Chaurasiya Chandra Shekhar Azad, MLA Mr. Akhtarul Imaan, the members of the visiting team Prof. Ekram Husain, Principal of Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, Prof. Javed Akhtar, Dean, Facultry of Management Studies and Prof. N. A. K. Durrani, Chairman, Department of Mass Communication and Media Advisor also spoke on the occasion.