AMU buries a ‘time capsule’ enclosing its 100-year history

ALIGARH: A “time capsule” encapsulating the history of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was on Tuesday buried 30 feet deep in a park opposite the institution’s Victoria Gate to mark India’s Republic Day celebrations and the university’s centenary year.

The tablet, created with tempered steel and weighing 1.5 tonne (1,500 kg) contains a historic cache of information meant to be accessible by future generations.

“History begins with the handing down of tradition, and tradition means the carrying of the habits and lessons of the past into the future,” AMU’S vice-chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor, said while presiding over a virtual event to mark the occasion. “This time capsule is for the benefit of future generations and it includes the salient features of the glorious history of AMU,” he added.

The capsule contains several works on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan -the founder of the Muhammadan Anglo-oriental (MAO) College (1875), which later became AMU in 1920 -- along with documents about the history and statutes of the institution, a satellite image of the campus, and even a speech delivered last December during the centenary celebrations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Some of the documents are: a copy of Sir Syed Album by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami; essays and speeches from the Mohammadan Anglo-oriental College, Aligarh from 1875 to 1919, compiled by Nawab Mohsin ul Mulk; History of MAO College, Aligarh by Theodore Morrison; The Life and Work of Syed Ahmad Khan by GFI Graham; Glimpses of Muslim Education in India, Vol. 1 and 2 by Professor Shan Mohammad; Convocation Address by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam;; and a speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the centenary celebrations on December 2, among others.

Professor Mansoor said that steps have been taken to protect the documents from erosion. The VC also said that a committee has been constituted to sort out the modalities for excavating a capsule buried on January 8, 1877 by Lord Lytton (the then Viceroy and Governor General of India) during the foundation stone ceremony of MAO College.

Earlier, the then President Pratibha Patil had buried a time capsule at Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur) in March 2010.

An AMU alumnus and former president of Students Union, Masqoor Usmani applauded the initiative. “It is a really good initiative as often manipulations are conducted with history nowadays and time capsule would be a concrete proof of glorious past of great university like AMU which is in fact a national heritage”, said Usmani.