For the past few weeks, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been caught in the throes of a crisis over a Muhammad Ali Jinnah portrait that adorns its walls, with violent clashes breaking out between students and various right-wing groups.
As the present vice chancellor, Tariq Mansoor, maintains what many students allege is an effective silence over the row, The Wire spoke with former AMU VC Lieutenant General (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah. Known for being a strict disciplinarian, he too was caught in a few difficult situations during his tenure. Though Shah is still in a dilemma about who’s right and who’s wrong when it come the ongoing controversy, he unequivocally condemns the police lathicharge on AMU’s students.
Shah believes that communication is the only way to end find a solution to the bitter row.
Excerpts from the interview:
AMU is facing one of its worst crises ever. What is your take on present agitation?
The present agitation is a reaction to highhandedness against the students of AMU. The students are resenting two things. First, no action was taken against the right-wing elements who barged into the university on May 2. Second, highhanded police action against students fleeing the police, who chased and thrashed them. A lathi-charge is meant to disburse the crowd. When students were running away themselves, there was no need to resort to a lathi-charge. I would call it lathi attack. Because of that action, the situation has hardened and there is tension on all sides.
It all started over a hand-made painting of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that is hanging in the varsity’s student’s hall cum museum. What are your views on Jinnah?
I do know about him. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a brilliant lawyer. He was a respected member of the Congress party until he decided to move out of the party. As an Indian, I have no emotional attachment at all for Jinnah. But I do have an emotional attachment to history. And history must report things correctly.
What is your take on students of AMU being termed as pro-Pakistani and anti-Indian? What about the video footage that showed that ‘Azadi slogans’ were raised by them in the campus?
AMU students are Indians. They do not have pro-Pakistan sentiments at all. No anti-national sentiments have ever existed in AMU. The students just want to be heard. There are no ‘Aazadi’ slogans. If you hear the real footage, not the doctored one, what they are seeking is independence against oppression, independence from right-wingers, from ultra-nationalists. I have seen the videos and can’t see anything that can be termed as pro-Pakistani or anti-national sentiment. These are demands students must raise. Students must speak, question and fight for things they think is correct.
Why is AMU always in news for the wrong reason?
Matters like this that give a bad name to the university. People are unable to digest the fact that AMU was listed among the world’s top universities. I condemn the media’s role in this chaos. The channels are just full of AMU news for the last four days and they are just projecting one side. The students are not protesting for Jinnah at all. They are protesting the high handedness.
But do people see AMU students as trouble mongers?
This is ironic. Yes, there was a student who joined some terrorist group in Kashmir. But this was not taught in the university. No anti-national sentiments were ever harvested in AMU. There are many insurgents from Northeast who study in Pune and Delhi University. But no one talking about that. There are stray elements everywhere. Single cases cannot be projected as a picture.
Aligarh Muslim University students protest at the gate of the university campus. Credit: PTI
Are you on the side of students? Have many of them contacted you for help/support?
The students have approached me. They are talking to me. I was previous AMU VC. They want guidance and support. I told them don’t do anything. Keep calm and try not to react. Don’t get perturbed. Don’t do anything that aggravates the majority community. It’s a very important time for them. Exams are about to start next week. And they shouldn’t let such incidents harm their career, studies and life.
I appeal to all parties, be it students or right-wingers – they should not aggravate this matter. This is a very small matter. Talk to each other and try and understand each other’s point of view. If you indulge in arm-twisting, positions will only get harder.
So the students are right?
I won’t say who is right or wrong. But yes, I do sympathise with them – with the way they have been mistreated and mishandled. The way the situation has been allowed to go out of hands is saddening. They are youngsters who do not understand that this disruption of academic schedule is going to harm them.
What would have you done if you were the VC?
I would have talked to everybody. I would have talked to the people levelling the charges as well to students and the police. Communication is the solution to all problems.
So is the present VC is not doing all these things?
I am not too sure. I am not in touch with him. But during five years of my tenure, academic activity was not disrupted even for a single day. And here, the students have been suffering since a week and exams have been postponed. This is ultimately a loss to the university as well as students.
What has been local police’s role in agitations and protects that happened in AMU in your tenure?
In my time, the police were very supportive. I have never allowed police to enter in the university at all apart from just one case in which a murder had taken place in the AMU. I let the police in as the proctor’s office was set on fire. But then I went along, with the students, and told them that this will only harm them. There was a very important (entrance exam) scheduled next day and the students allowed it to take place peacefully. Talking, negotiating and putting them at ease is very important and helpful. They want us to go to them. They expect a VC to do that. You have to behave like a fatherly figure.
What is your take on the university student body and union?
I am a firm believer in democracy and a student union is an integral part. They train leaders. All politicians used to be student leaders once. Its a good training ground for politicians.
Apart from Jinnah, the Aligarh MP and right-wing groups, during your tenure, tried to create similar tension over Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh. What according to you was his contribution to AMU?
Raja Mahendra Pratap is an alumnus of AMU. He was a leading man in the independence struggle. We have always talked about him. He was revered and honoured by AMU and was always held in great respect.
But the rumour being spread that he contributed 3,000 acres of land to AMU is strange and incorrect. He was generous enough to give us four acres of land on lease for the school, but he never donated anything to AMU. But yes, he is respected. But the demand that we give him the status equivalent to Sir Syed is unjustified and impossible to achieve. There are hundreds of people who contributed things to AMU, we can’t be celebrating everybody’s birthday, right?
So would you like to tell us anything about the letter from Aligarh MO, Satish Gautam, over his demands of honouring Raja in the university?
Mr Satish Gautam sent me a letter in 2014 that he wanted the institution to celebrate Raja Mahendra Pratap’s birthday. Even while living in Aligarh, having my direct contact number, he sent the letter through ordinary post. Before the letter could reach me and I could take a decision in the matter, the agitation started. He followed the same modus operandi this time as well. The letter which he has sent demanding the removal of the picture of Jinnah reached media before reaching the VC. But I managed to pacify him and right-wingers by talking to them. We organised a seminar on Raja Mahendra Pratap.
There was much chaos at time. Did you contact the government to intervene?
I wrote a letter to the ministry of human resource development (MHRD).
Did the MHRD revert on this?
No. But we reached a happy compromise with the protestors by engaging with them in several conversations.
What is your take on right wing groups active in Aligarh?
They are a menace. They are trying to whip up tension every which way they can, create hostilities and bad blood between communities. I strongly think that the Centre and state leaders must take action to control such elements and not allow them to run riot.
Have you ever received any threats from right-wing outfits active in Aligarh?
Not threats.. but yes these people have burnt my effigies many times. They did that inside the campus too. Once a student’s union leader distributed my picture in Khaki shirts too – which hardly bothered me!
That must be after you visited a RSS function?
Yes, because my policy was to keep the channels of communication open. There are good people in all organisations and we must talk to everyone.
Ishita Mishra is is a UP-based crime and political journalist with a penchant for human interest stories.