By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The University wants to move in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. The University feels concerned that the innocent boys are misled by the vested interests, said Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Prof. P.K. Abdul Azis and appealed to everyone to allow the University to work as a centre of excellence rather than converting into a political battlefield.
“Everyone should remember that it is an institution of national importance of the country and the country has great hopes in the contributions the AMU is going to make in the coming years,” said the V-C today in New Delhi. He was addressing the media at Press Club of India. He was here to clear doubts and rumors about AMU and his regime.
To clear the uncertainty about the opening of AMU, Prof. Azis, in the very beginning of the address, announced that the university will be reopened on December 1, 2009. He, however, made it clear that classes will start in a phased manner.
The classes in the Faculty of Medicine, Unani Medicine, Engineering & Technology, Management, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Agriculture and Class XII and all University maintained school from Nursery to Class X will be started on December 1, 2009. This will facilitate 3443 residential students to return to their halls and hostels. Classes for Faculty of Science, Commerce and Law will commence from December 4, 2009. Whereas the Classes in Faculty of Arts, Social Science, Theology along with XI and Diploma in Engineering will be starting from December 8, 2009.
He also announced that the university will make arrangements in all the Halls of residence to receive the students two days ahead of the date of commencement of their classes.
University’s Proctor and Dean Students’ Welfare will arrange 24 hours transportation to the students from the Bus Stand and Railway Station to their respective halls of residence. Provosts will also keep open the Dining Hall and other facilities to welcome the students and facilitate their smooth accommodation in the respective hostels, the V-C said.
AMU was closed on October 30 in the backdrop of the murder of a student, Mr. Shahnawaz Alam on October 25 over a motor cycle parking row outside the campus. Following the murder students started protesting and demanded resignation of the V-C. A section of the students sat on hunger strike. When the authorities saw the situation going out of control, they decided to close the university sine die on October 30.
The V-C refuted the charge that he himself took the decision of closure and did not consult, or situation was in control but all of a sudden the V-C decided to close it for some other reason.
“The decision to close down the University was taken in a Consultative Meeting after long deliberations. The Deans of the Faculties, Principals of the Colleges, Local Members of the Executive Council, Senior faculty Members and other functionaries unanimously recommended the closure of the University in order to avoid eruption of violence and police intervention.”
L-R: Registrar V K Abdul Jaleel, V-C P K Abdul Azis, his Media Advisor, N K Durrani, Controller of Examinations Pervez Mustajab
Giving details of failure of efforts to calm down the students, he said: “Two groups of teachers were sent to persuade the students to vacate the busy Delhi-Howrah railway track blocked by them to return back to the campus. On 25th night itself soon after the dead body of Mr. Shahnawaz was brought to the Hospital the Vice Chancellor visited the Medical College Hospital and appealed to agitating students to remain calm and peaceful. He again met the agitating students at the Administrative Block gate the next day afternoon and explained the initiatives taken to address the problem. At different point of time various groups of teachers tried to negotiate a settlement and on 29th October about 150 senior teachers went to the dharna site and interacted with the students in order to persuade them to withdraw their agitation but all efforts went in vain.”
Professor Azis said that the dharna, disruption of classes, highly provocative speeches, false rumours and allegations, name calling and pretentious rhetoric made by the agitating students supported by outside elements including former Student Union leaders and some political workers who visited and delivered inflammatory speeches at the Dharna site had surcharged the atmosphere and on 30 th October morning and the University had no other option left than to declare closure in order to avert any major crisis.
But after repeated questions from the mediamen at the press conference he did not name the trouble maker outsiders. He also parried the question as to why the AMU did not file FIR against the outsiders who were vitiating the situation.
When the TCN asked if the October 25 murder of an AMU student was just an incident or part of a conspiracy, he did not give any clear answer.
When asked why murders of students have taken place in or around the AMU campus at regular interval, again he had no satisfactory answer. But he maintained that the murder that took place two years back was very far from the university.
As part of his move to bring normalcy in the campus, the V-C said the agitating students will not be victimized.
“The University has agreed to the demand made on behalf of agitating students by certain well wishers of the University that the students involved in the dharna should not be victimized. Although the students are under suspension as per the university regulations, the University assured them that no one will be victimized for participating in the current dharna. All students so exonerated will be required to submit the undertaking that they will fully observe the University’s Code of Conduct.”
The university has suspended 18 students for disrupting its academic activity.
On restoration of AMU Students’ Union, a prime demand of the agitators, the V-C said: Considering the extremely criminalized activities of the Students’ Union leaders in collusion with outside elements during 2004-2007 in AMU, the University community has its own apprehension about sustaining a peaceful academic environment in the campus once the Union is revived. However, considering the need for a democratic platform for students, the University will examine afresh the restoration of the Students’ Union.
He said a High Level Committee will be appointed soon to examine the modalities of operationalising the Lyngdoh Committee Report. The Committee will be asked to submit its report within three months.
Clearing the rumor that hundreds of students have been suspended by the University, he said: During the last two years, the University administration has not suspended or rusticated any student for violation of code of conduct rules. The propaganda is totally baseless and designed to create ill will towards University authorities by some individuals and others whose design is political. It is an attempt to malign the University. The tranquil and peaceful atmosphere was vitiated by rumour mongering and hate-mails issued by a few students sitting on dharna. University has refuted all the allegations. The allegation that the University has collected several lakhs of rupees as fine is a blatant lie to mislead students and the general public. The present Hall administration is only trying to establish the rule of law and in accordance with the already existing rules imposing fines as a means of reform rather than vengeance. In the current academic year out of 11000 plus students only 29 students in all the 18 Halls of residence were fined.
Asked why he didn’t resign when a presidential enquiry was initiated against alleged financial irregularities in the top administration of AMU, the V-C said he and his administration is very clean, there is nothing to hide, everything has been kept open to the enquiry committee.
The V-C listed the achievements at AMU during the last two years. He said the University was brought back on the academic track after the turmoil of 2007 with the relentless efforts of the University community. Some of the landmark achievements were:
· AMU has ranked as one of the top ten Indian Universities in scientific research publication in the country.
· Information Communication Technology (ICT) was raised from 0.5 mbps to 144 mbps and each department of study, Halls of residence and Colleges have been provided with computers and internet connectivity.
· A Digital Resource Centre has been established in the Maulana Azad Library enabling access to online catalogue.
· Five Special Centres of AMU in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala have been proposed at a cost of Rs. 2000 crores. The Government of West Bengal, Kerala and Bihar have already come up with the required land. The Govt. of India has sanctioned Rs. 25 Crore each for the West Bengal and Kerala Centre. A committee is preparing detail blue print.
· The upgradation of J N Medical College to the level of an institute of Medical Sciences at an estimated cost of Rs. 150 Crore is in the process of advance stage.
He also gave to the pressmen a 103-page report on his achievements as V-C of AMU in the last two years.