By Mohammad Allam,
For the last few years, the problem of security has emerged as a potential threat to the very existence of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The recent closing down of the university third time in four years in sine die is a matter of concern. In spite of the praiseworthy efforts by the university administration the problem remains unsolved. The approach to tackle the problem is not in multi-dimensional framework. The study of the various interlinked factors is essential to understand the true nature of the security threat to the university.
Movement turned into a Government institution
The biggest security that AMU has had for a long period of time is the faith of the people towards this university as a “movement” started by the well wishers of the community for the social, educational, and political advancement of the Indian Muslims after 1857. For this reason no one used to think to damage the university at any level. But due to eroding sprit of Aligarian and love toward the university, this movement has been turning into a mere “Government Institution”.
For a movement people sacrifice a lot, serve without any interest and even spend millions for the betterment. Now this is a central government university, the emerging trend is to rob it as much as possible. No working culture, no sprit to serve, no responsibility towards the youth of the community, the motto is to get salary without work, create chaos in the campus to save own skin from the class teaching, crush talents to conceal own inability and employ own kith and kin on various posts, start crying if any one reminds them their duty. Are not all these a security threat to the very existence of the university?
The spirit of Aligarh that used to be started with “we” has been changed into “I”. No group work, no collective efforts, no brotherly love but the self interest effort and chanting slogan of regionalism to serve own vested interest. Would such approaches carry the Aligarh movement in the 21st century to serve the marginalized community of Sachar committee?
The spirit of positive criticism is completely absent in AMU. If anyone tries to bring the drawback or offers constructive suggestion he’s considered the enemy and obstacle in the smooth running of administration. Many cases of suspension and rustications of the students and staffs in the past are the result of positive criticism. In any official meeting most of the participants remain mute spectator or yes-man rather than an active participant. And the reason is the intolerant attitude of the head towards the active positivist criticizer. In my opinion if AMU accepts the norm of positive criticism in all a sphere, many of the major problems would evaporate.
Media and university
The present day media which is under control of the communalists has created negative image of the university in the mainstream of the nation. The undue interferences of media in the campus as compared to other universities played an important role in maligning the university and the students. The report of the Times of India about the university and the stunt operation of the electronic media in the case of Prof Siras question the role of media about AMU. The role of local media to highlight every petty issue on front page and no reporting or even back page reporting about the achievements of the university and students succeeded in projecting university as a center of anti-nationals and hub of criminals. The irresponsible statements of the office bearers of the university on certain issues also brought bad name to the university. Can any university in such negative media attention survive long to be a well acknowledged center of learning?
For the last few years, the group wars and media fight among the university staff degraded the university image among the Indian Muslims. The strength of the university is the unquestioned silent support of the Indian Muslims and the worldwide settled alumni of AMU. Every media coverage of internal fight and corruption makes them to bow down their head in shame and distance from the causes of the university.
The AMU is so important and so dear to Indian Muslims not due to as a center of learning but as a centre of training and vision making for the community. The people related to AMU should know that they are respected because of AMU has respect among the people. Their very much existence depends upon the existence of AMU. Their identity is due to AMU. Without AMU they are nothing but a person like other institutions of India.
Student and university
The security problem for the university is not from the general students who are passing their exams every year but are from those who are unsuccessful. These unsuccessful students not only create problem at every level but get involved in those activities which are against the interest of the university. They are used by some vested interest to create chaos and insecurity in the campus. The question is that are these students do not report their academic progress to their guardian or parents? In practice they used to inform parents as a good student of the university. NOS (National Open Schooling) has emerged as a big source of survival for them at AMU. Some of the students failed in the university, used to pass the examination from NOS and distance mode of learning but inform the parents or guardians about their affiliation with the university.
The duty of the administration is to expose such students by informing their parents/guardian about their academic progress and indiscipline activities. For this purpose, the need of hour is to develop an academic evaluation-cum-discipline report. The report should be sent annually to the parents/guardians of the students through provost of the Halls. If this is not possible in case of all the students then in case of unsuccessful students it must be sent. By this method we can fix the responsibility of the parents, guardians and can work closely for the betterment of the students and community. We can minimize the security threat of the campus by checking the students who are failure and involved in breaching of the university security.
Existing campus
From the very beginning the university has been working on the principle of close relationship among the various components of university like Teaching staff, non-teaching staff, students, well wishers and the authorities. The presence of teaching staff at different points of the campus with residential facilities has been given priority to provide guardianship to the students and security to the campus. The various departments and faculties were constructed without disturbing the residential plan of the University in the past. The security of the campus with residential staff proved a strong point of safety of the campus. But for the last few years, the policy to disturb the existing campus plan by bringing more and more faculties by annexing residential areas is proving problematic for the campus. The deliberate effort by the building department to remove residential buildings, the lack of visionary policy on HRA, the discouraging attitude towards the resident wardens and expanding the boarding facilities for more and more students are creating an internal security threat to the campus. Can a university like AMU which is a missionary and training center perform well by evacuating the teaching communities from the campus? Who wants the campus turned into hounding place after 2:00 PM as most of the departments used to close down? And in the night a watchman to protect it?
In the light of above problem the need of hour is to remove all those hurdles by encouraging residential faculties at different points, give concession to the teaching staff and residential warden in HRA. The policy of constructing more residential halls for the students should now be stopped. The University should not be turned into a guest house or Sarai but it must remain a training center. The outdated courses should be removed or merged in related department in phase wise manner. The opening of one man faculties should be discouraged.
University properties, building department and contractors
This is another group that is posing threat to the security of the university as for the last few years the dealing in real estate has emerged as a lucrative business. The large and valuable properties of the university are in the greedy eyes of the builders, dishonest officials and the land mafia. The nexus among these elements also limits the free and fair functioning of the University. This is not in the interest of the University to have vast properties under department of waqf and properties under a Member-in-charge (MIC). The MIC already has other responsibilities, having no time for the better planning of the properties. It was only during the time of former vice-chancellor Mr. Mehmoodur Rahman that this department worked very actively and recovered the lost properties of millions of rupees. The solution of this problem is the restructuring of the department of the properties under head of the Properties Officer (PO) with legal back ground. The publishing of the detail of all properties of the university after five years (after end of tenure of every vice-chancellor), the enclosing of all the open land, and planning to use the land of the university in the better ways are some another measures to check the security threat of the university. The student union always played an important role in security of University properties by bringing the issues related to the properties to the university administration.
The construction and repairing of the building in the university has also emerged a business of million rupees. The dubious role played by the building department in collusion with the contractors and suppliers make university buildings vulnerable. The unplanned construction in the campus is another matter of concern. The quality and expertise in construction and repairing has been compromised if one sees the background of the contractors who have been assigned responsibilities to construct or repair the building. Why is there such negligence attitude towards historical building of the University? The nexus among the different factors should be checked in time. Otherwise there would be very much problem for the university in the era of a week administration in future.
In the light of above discussed points, the need of hour is to adopt a precautionary policy of security rather than the policy of post event tackling of the situation. The egoistic and revengeful attitude should be discarded for the sake of the university. The role of the students associated with various political and non-political parties should be investigated. As the problems of security are in multi-dimensional frame work, the approach should also be in multi-dimensional to improve the security condition for peaceful academic environment of the university. Otherwise, the university would be like the past India that crumbled under the British government bit by bit with complete destruction of the Indian kings and nobles (in case of the university the teaching staff, administration and the students).
(The author teaches history at AMU. He can be contacted at Email: [email protected])