By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: A number of Muslim and social organizations are planning to conduct protest demonstrations against alleged irregularities, particularly appointment of non-Urdu speaking staff members at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANNU).
Under the banner of MANUU Action Committee they conducted a meeting to protest demonstrations against MANUU, the first and lone Urdu university in the country. The university has been in the news for some controversial decisions termed as against the interests of Urdu language in the university.
Former Rajya Sabha member and CPI leader Aziz Pasha said, “Maladministration has become rampant at MANNU. The Urdu university is being run by a vice chancellor who himself is a non-Urdu speaker. Like Telugu or Sanskrit universities which do not allot university posts to non-Telugu or non-Sanskrit speakers, the academic posts at the Urdu university should also not be given to non-Urdu speakers. If the maladministration in the Urdu university and anti-Urdu decisions of the administration continue and central government turns a blind eye to the issue, then this fight will go to Jantar Mantar in Delhi.”
The protesters were angry with the university decision of providing major staff and academic posts to non-Urdu speakers. They alleged that even after the high court stayed the appointment procedure because of deviation from university principles, the administration is continuing to provide posts to non-Urdu speakers. The organizers also claim that they have list of 11 persons who don’t have any knowledge of Urdu yet appointed to high posts in the university this year.
Hamed Mohd Khan, president of Movement for Peace and Justice, a sister organization of Jamaat-e-Islami said, MANUU was formed with the sole purpose of advocating Urdu language and to provide employment to the Urdu speakers, but the university administration is trying every bit to strike down this two major features of Urdu university. He criticized the government for not constructing a mosque in the wakf land on which university was constructed, “3000 Muslim students are facing difficulties in prayers because of unavailability of mosque in the campus, a mosque should be constructed as in Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia.” He even took a dig at university vice chancellor Mohd Miyan, “vice chancellor is not only anti-Urdu but anti-Muslim as he is warning and giving diktats to Muslim students that they should not wear skull caps or hijab in the campus.”
TRS leader Vinod Kumar speaking in the meeting said, “The attitude of the administration of Urdu university is questionable as they are not working in the interest of Urdu language but seriously jeopardizing the future of Urdu not only in the state but in the whole nation.” Ending his speech he promised the protesters that his party will raise this issue in the assembly along with Telangana issue.
Nusrat Mohinuddin, head of Insaaf group and organizer of the meeting, in his presidential address said, “in 130 universities of the nation only MANNU is the sole Urdu university. MANNU is now fighting for its identity and existence as is the Urdu language.” Ending the meeting he said Urdu speakers will continue their fight legally, as high court has intervened in this issue and will take the issue to Delhi.