140 years later, alienation abounds in an iconic institution of Aligarh
ALIGARH: When Islamic pragmatist Sir Syed Ahmad Khan set up an educational institution in Aligarh to promote higher learning among Muslims, he was “sensitive” towards other communities. He decided that beef would not be served in the campus.
Over 140 years later, the BJP mayor of the city in Uttar Pradesh, Shakuntala Bharti, alleged last month that the university canteen was serving “beef biryani”. The campus was thrown into a tizzy.
The university clarified it was buffalo meat, not beef biryani. A communal conflagration, vicechancellor Zameer Uddin Shah told HT, was just avoided.
The memory of Dadri village, not too far away, was hanging over Aligarh.
THE SHADOW OF JNU
But if it was not a vigil over what people ate, it was a vigil over what they said.
Satish Gautam, Aligarh’s BJP MP, wrote a letter to the V- C. “We can see what is happening in JNU. Keeping these events in mind, AMU should not give permission for any anti-national or anti- government activity.” Gautam added that recent events in the campus had heavily dwelt on the “anti-Sangh, sarkar and BJP sentiment”.
The V- C told HT, “I am an army man. I will not allow anything anti- national. But criticism of parties, of governments, is part of AMU culture. I am not going to stop any activity that is not against the Constitution.”
The memory of JNU now hangs over AMU.
‘SECULAR INSTITUTION, MUSLIM ETHOS’
At the Maulana Azad Library, a group of research scholars pursuing their PhDs in English literature were in conversation.
Iqbal Ansari said, “The simple question is whether we all have to conform to Hindutva or whether they will accept multiculturalism in this country. There is only one guidebook to follow nationalism — the Constitution.”
AMU, students argued, was being “targeted” because it was seen as a “Muslim institution”, even though it has students from different religions. It is Muslim, but it is not just Muslim.
The institution is fighting a case to safeguard its “minority character”, which in turn will allow it to remain autonomous and have its own reservation principles.
“We are a secular institution with Muslim ethos,” says Shah. Events begin with Quranic verses — much like events in other institutions begin with the Hindu symbolism of lighting lamps. And there are courses with an overwhelming number of Muslim students.
But Shah also points to the modern infrastructure, English language as medium of instruction and diversity in the student pool.
The university has lost the case in the high court. The central government initially backed the AMU’s claim. But in the Supreme Court, the attorney general said the government could not support the minority character of any institution in a secular state.
A furious Shah said, “I told the PM that Indian Muslims have an emotional attachment with MU. Any change in its character will have a detrimental impact on you, your party, Indian Muslims and this nation, which is a salad bowl.”
SQUEEZE BY HRD
Other policy moves — and human resource development minister Smriti Irani’s manner of functioning — have not helped.
Many allege Irani told Shah — when he went to meet her along with Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy — that he was not welcome.
The V-C did not comment on the conversation, but the fact that he had to leave the meeting venue is now well known. The minister and the V-C have subsequently met but the relationship remains tense.
AMU claims that its centres in West Bengal and Bihar are not being funded. The ministry says these are illegal. The ministry’s nominees for the executive council of the university made the institution uncomfortable. The President, as the visitor of the university, has sent back the names to the government.
Add it all up and AMU is an institution seething and defensive with a student population bitter and angry.