By Md Mudassir Alam,
The proposal of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) special centre is delaying with various reasons especially due to lack of coordination between the central and state governments. The project which was made public by the former Vice Chancellor of AMU Prof P K Abdul Azis in the year 2008 is still hanging in balance. First it took around 2 years for getting the one piece contiguous land from the Government of Bihar, and since then it is delaying due to fulfillment of the related official formalities from the Congress led UPA government at the centre. A great sigh of relief came for the AMU Kishanganj dreamers as the file of the Special Centre reached to President of India’s office earlier this month.
The dreamers of AMU Special Centre in Kishanganj are keenly following the developments related to the proposed centre and they have come across many ups and downs for past three years. On December 30, 2011, the people of Seemanchal (Northeastern part of Bihar) and other parts of Bihar celebrated after the Govt of Bihar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Registrar of Aligarh Muslim University and the land was handed over to AMU. Very soon the file of AMU regarding the approval and fund allocation reached to Ministry of Human Resource & Development (MHRD) on January 4, 2012. Once again the hopes of AMU Kishanganj dreamers somehow shattered due to unprecedented delay made by the MHRD. However, thanks to Union Minister of HRD Kapil Sibal the file of AMU Kishanganj moved to the President of India’s office for approval in the first week of May 2012. Hopefully very soon the file of AMU Kishanganj will get approval from President of India, and the Ministry of Finance will allocate the required budget of Rs 50 crore.
Till now the road of AMU Kishanganj has remained full of hurdles and it has frustrated the education lovers and the deprived people of Seemanchal. The proposal of AMU Special Centre first declared for Katihar in Bihar had been shifted to Kishanganj due to willingness of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the year 2009. In May 2010 the Government of Bihar offered around 243.06 acres land to AMU in the outskirts of district headquarters of Kishanganj in three pieces. The then Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Prof P. K. Abdul Azis refused to accept the land in three pieces citing the security reason and possibilities of disturbance in the smooth functioning of the Special Centre. After that till December 2011, the educationists, activists, students, common people, non political groups and local politicians from Kishanganj belonging to different political parties tried their best to pressurize the Govt of Bihar to provide the required land in one piece. Finally the proposed Special Centre of AMU in Kishanganj got 224.02 acres land in one piece in Kishanganj itself on December 30, 2011.
The efforts of people from various sections of the society was also named as a ‘Modern Aligarh Movement’ and the area of Seemanchal had started to see a new dawn in the form of Aligarh Muslim University’s mega campus in their own area. As of now the file of AMU Kishanganj is lying in the President of India’s office, and those connected with the long-drawn issue are waiting for the official confirmation for further action. It is mid May and the sessions for most of the universities especially Aligarh Muslim University begins in the month of July. In the meantime, a very genuine and valid question arises in the mind of AMU Kishanganj dreamers: If the session will start from this year or not. May is about to finish and it can’t be assumed when the President of India will give her approval. Next, the fund approval is also a major concern. If both the works get done, then only the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University can proceed ahead to start the Special Centre in the temporary shelter.
Lt. Gen Zameeruddin Shah is a new Vice Chancellor, and there are host of works for him to be finished as the university was not having a VC for past four months. When some old boys of Aligarh Muslim University and also the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) met Zameeruddin Shah a couple of days back the latter ensured that he will also focus on the special centre of AMU, which was a brain-child of former VC Prof P K Abdul Azis. In fact, the AMU boys and JNU students requested Shah for giving proper attention to the proposed centre of AMU in Kishanganj. Keeping in mind the official formalities and other related concerns, it will not be wrong to say that there are little chances of start of session of AMU Kishanganj Special Centre this year. However, the sessions for other two centres of AMU at Mallapuram (Kerala) and Murshidabad (West Bengal) were started in the month of December. Hence, the AMU Kishanganj lovers can expect start of session in the year 2012.
At the end, a sincere request to AMU Kishanganj lovers especially to those activists who had given their valuable contribution to push ahead the work of Special Centre: You all need to remember the famous line from the poetry of Robert Frost ‘Miles to go before I sleep’, ‘Miles to go before I sleep’…to see the mega campus in physical shape.
Kishanganj News: http://www.kishanganjbihar.com/