By Omar Peerzada
Aligarh Muslim Umiversity, the grand old institution of Muslims dreams, aspirations and heritage lies wounded and has been bleeding since decades. The irony is that this inflected wound is less from its distracters and enemies, but surprisingly more from its own lovers and progenies. It is a self-inflected wound from which AMU bleeds and is not being able to recover.
It sounds strange that its own lovers have brought such a destructive wrath upon its own most “beloved one”; the embodiment of their cherished dreams. Are the lovers sadistic in nature? Or, have they gone crazy? Are outsiders sedating and poisoning them to bring destruction to their own house?
The answer to this puzzling conundrum perhaps lies in all of these “anomalies”, partly traceable and partly unsettled. What is traceable is an inherent state-of-AMU culture which is based on certain “ethos”, which is the hall-mark of AMU’s inner functioning, but which can at best be labeled as a “manual of corruption and deals.”
The reason for the deterioration include bringing down the institutional frame works of student body, compromising and raping the rule of law and ethical standard, silencing the voices of dissent, and manipulate a situation and filling up the administrative and academic bodies with unworthy, corrupt and disenchanted individuals of interest-groups.
All these short cuts and manipulations to serve particular interest groups and lobbies have eaten the body and spirit of AMU to the core. The lobbyists reach all corners and sections of Indian and Muslim society to to put their agenda, which includes all kinds of planning, save one; the educational endearment and excellence of its student body.
Other factors which too do influence AMU’s functioning are the charged situation of the city and surroundings, press bias, social conditions of Muslims etc. But these are minor reasoning’s in its state-of-dis function. The major reasoning’s are political, ideological and the self interests of Muslim social groups, staff and committees, huge contracts, procurements and an autocratic and feudalistic culture of a few landlords ruling over their fiefdoms.
Sir Syed’s dream of a vibrant working embodiment of Aligarh Movement lies in shambles and in pool of its own blood, inflicted mostly by its own faithfuls, limping and live. But what a life; a disfigured body with a broken and contaminated spirit.
Where is that “Mera Chaman” whose nightingales were always found singing of its beauty and their sense of duty and sacrifice to nurture, to strengthen, to nourish and to water their garden of dreams? The fact of the matter is, that nothing can sustain if the gardeners do not attend and fetch the garden with their love of sweat, water and blood. Omar Peerzada is member NCPUL & NMCSC Ministry of HRD and National Convenor Aligarh Movement Foundation. email; [email protected]