What comes to your mind when you hear the name Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)? As per the century-old narrative, it has been considered one of the most prominent universities in the country. It has been linked with the freedom struggle and the development of the Bharatiya education system. The University has been mentioned in the Constitution and gets additional benefits as a national public university.
Allegedly, Sir Syed’s vision was to build a non-sectarian educational institution on the lines of Cambridge and Oxford. The university is also hailed for its ‘pluralism and scientific temper’ and is also known as the harbinger of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. However, contrary to the rosy picture build-up over the decades, AMU is indeed a university that not only displays its sectarian character every now and then but also spread anti-Hindu sentiments while misusing the taxpayer’s money.
Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb – there is no place for temples in AMU
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University, is believed to have stated that both Muslims and Hindus are the two eyes of Aligarh Muslim University. The AMU campus, however, contradicts this claim. If the university indeed treats students from other religions equally, why doesn’t it house even a single temple on its campus where there are multiple mosques? MM Hall masjid, Hadi Hasan Hall Masjid, SZ Hall Masjid, and Sulaiman Hall Masjid are the most prominent ones. All of them are well built and furnished with taxpayers’ money.
Hindus have demanded the construction of a temple many times but Muslim students and the university administration have vehemently opposed the same and hence there isn’t a single temple within the campus to date. The Muslim students, on the other hand, keep raising the demand to rebuild the Babri Mosque every now and then. Well, that’s the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb for you.
Unconstitutional reservation policy of Aligarh Muslim University
The reservation system at Aligarh Muslim University is completely contrary to the country’s constitution. As per the constitutional policy, reservation should not be more than 50%, whereas AMU has 50% reservation for internal (Muslim) students alone. In addition to this, there are several other categories like the NRI quota, alumni quota, sports, and physically disabled quota.
There are no reservations for SC/ST and OBC which is a gross violation of Article 16 (4), Article 16 (5). AMU supporters say that it is a Minority institution, hence it has an exception from SC/ST and OBC quota. However, in the Azzez basha case, the Allahabad high court held that not a minority institution as per provisions of Article 30 as it has been established by the Parliament Act 1920.
No food for Hindus during Ramzan
Aligarh Muslim University has been accused of not serving food to non-Muslim students during the month-long Ramzan when Muslims fast. According to the students, the AMU mess serves only the Sehri (food before dawn at around 3:00 a.m.) and dinner. Even the meals timings are changed during this time to accommodate the Roza hours (2-2.30 am and 7-7.30 pm).
The then AMU PRO Umar Salim Pirzada confirmed that this practise was followed for many decades. When Hindu students protested, the AMU administration promised to provide them food thrice a day but only on an ‘On Demand‘ basis.
AMU houses the portrait of Jinnah – divider of Bharat
Jinnah is known as the controversial person who led the partition of Bharat and the killing of millions of innocent people. AMU houses the portrait of Jinnah, which has created a lot of furore in recent times. Unfortunately, the administration always defended the portrait saying Jinnah was the founder member of the University Court, and the portrait has been hanging there for decades.
Even the former vice president Hamid Ansari, who had served as the AMU Vice-Chancellor between 2002 and 2004, also strongly defended the Jinnah portrait. He said that it is the tradition of the university to honour public personalities and install their portraits, and Jinnah’s portrait should remain in the university.
AMU misuses the grants and relief fund money
In 2016, the CAG audit team caught the AMU teachers committing financial irregularities while awarding the civil contracts for development works inside the campus. AMU administration siphoned off several lakhs that were misused by them for their own personal purpose.
If this was not enough, more uncomfortable skeletons tumbled out of the university cupboard in a second CAG audit. AMU administration was caught for manipulation and misappropriation of funds collected in the name of providing relief to the Kashmir flood victims. The then Vice-Chancellor (VC) Lt.(Retd.) Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah was accused of violating the customs rules by collecting and improper management of huge cash and jewellery abroad during his personal visits.
The AMU Fanboys make tall claims, lecture others on secularism, Hindu-Muslim unity, and Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb but in reality, AMU is an Islamic university, where they blatantly oppose anyone except Muslims. They don’t allow temples for Hindus, nor are Hindus given food during Ramzan, they don’t implement the standard reservation policy to provide benefits to backward strata of our society, which is an open violation of the Constitution.
The university has the portrait of Jinnah, who was responsible for the death of millions of Hindus and Sikhs. It has been a cradle of anti-Bharat and anti-Hindu movements since its inception, and recently we have seen how it fuelled the anti-CAA movement. It also openly violates the constitution and provides a platform for anti-Hindu elements. The government must take stern action against the university and ensure it doesn’t spread anti-national and anti-Hindu sentiments anymore.
(Featured Image Source: AMU)
