MOHAMMED NAUSHAD KHAN analyses the controversy around the AMU VC’s “ban” on undergraduate girls to visit Maulana Azad Library of the university, and concludes that the issue was blown out of proportion by the biased media.
Minorities and minority institutions in India have always been the target of the prejudiced. Before we go into the nitty-gritty of the fallout of the AMU Library controversy, we need to answer a simple question as to why we have a separate girls hostel in every institution? Can anyone answer this? Or can anyone say it is illogical or gender bias?
In the same manner, it would be unfair to raise every issue on the basis of gender, freedom or equality. The prime issue here was more of safety of the girls, concerns of the parents of the girls who have preferred to send their daughters to AMU and lastly lack of space in the library. The issue of gender bias was created in an attempt to sensationalise the issue and to create a mountain out the mole hill. Some reputed dailies without going into the details raised the issue of gender bias when post graduate girls have very much access to the main library. The manner in which the issue was highlighted was no less than sensational reporting and unfair media trial. The parents who send their ward to AMU not only prefer it for the sake of education, but also to enrich them with rich culture and traditions and above all for the safety of their daughters.
The big question: why only the negative side of the story of the Muslim minority or minority institutions is covered on the first page and debated across the length and breadth of the country; and that too by dissecting its details to suit their purpose and professional aspirations. A simple administrative issue was blown up to trigger a national debate to give the impression as if it was a national issue and girls were treated badly in AMU or their right to education was encroached upon by the Vice Chancellor. Rajdeep Sardesai, former Editor-in-Chief of CNN-IBN and presently Consulting Editor of India Today Group in a twitter message said: The AMU ‘controversy’ is a classic example of how sensation is destroying sense in a section of media. Glad our reporter did a fact check.
Lt Gen Zamiruddin Shah, Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, in a letter written to MHRD on 13 November clarified his stand on the library issue. He has categorically stated that all undergraduates of Delhi University are debarred from accessing Central Reference Library or Ratan Tata Library because they have libraries in their colleges. Why is AMU being treated with a separate yardstick? He also informed Radiance that students are highly agitated over the manner in which media attempted to brand us as regressive. We are secular, forward looking and treat our girls with respect.
The Vice Chancellor further clarified in the said letter that the Maulana Azad Library is always over crowded despite being open 18 hours, seven days a week. It was constructed when it had to cater for 7000 students. Now the strength is 28000. It is not feasible to take on anymore numbers. The other valid reason which the Vice Chancellor raised in the letter was safety of girls; their moving from Women’s College to Maulana Azad Library, especially after it gets dark, is a major security hazard because of lumpen elements of Aligarh city. There have been several cases of chain snatching and eve teasing. This aspect can be addressed if the girls can be conveyed by bus. Unfortunately, there was a total ban on purchase of new vehicles by universities, till it was clarified that replacements for condemned vehicles could be resorted to. The Vice Chancellor has demanded Rs 20 Crore for the extension of the main library in order to accommodate all students.
Aligarh Muslim University Students Union, in a press statement, has expressed deep concern over the way in which “the communal fascist elements and their friends in the media have given a communal colour to this entire incident”. AMU is an educational institution of pivotal importance catering to the educational need of innumerable students across the length and breadth of the country and beyond. Thus in no way it should be subjected to the politics of hate and division.
Biased media reporting and unfair media trial reflects from the fact that when students of Aligarh Muslim University skipped the Sir Syed annual dinner which is supposedly considered to be one of the biggest dinner in the world to donate the entire money to the flood victims of Jammu and Kashmir, the same set of media did not even consider it worth reporting, forget about its coverage on the first page.
Lt. Gen. Zameeruddin Shah, while addressing students on the occasion of the university’s 62nd convocation, reiterated the university’s social responsibility and announced the students’ decision to skip the grand dinner to help the flood victims. Furthermore, last year also, in order to keep pace with the social responsibility, the students had cancelled the annual dinner to help Muzaffarnagar riot victims. Around Rs. 51 lakh was given to construct a school for the riot victims in Budhana tehsil of Muzaffarnagar. This too was not given due importance by those who did all in their wisdom to sensationalise the library issue.
The Aligarh Muslim University Student Union (AMUSU) president Abdullah Azzam said, “When one of our sisters from Science faculty went for Chandrayaan project, when our sister won 14 gold medals, where were you? When we raise genuine issues, they fall silent. When the President came here, not one OB came here; but then they created this issue and seven media vans were here. We want to tell you that this institution has not been set up by your donation, it is an autonomous institution, the issues of our home will be resolved in our home.” He added that “the AMU court, executive council and the academic council will address our issues, not MHRD.” (indianexpress.com, 14 November)
Addressing the students at the installation ceremony, AMUSU president said that the Common University Act proposed by the government will not be accepted in AMU. He also said that it is the duty of the Students’ Union to preserve and protect the unique character of the University and Union will do all to safeguard its unique character.
Now after going through all aspects of the leads that shaped the controversy, it is the need of the hour that all those who took up the issue should do all in their capacity to pressurise the government to sanction the said amount put forward by the Vice Chancellor for the extension of the library in order to accommodate the undergraduate girls if they are really concerned and want the issue to be taken to its logical conclusion.