Let Us “Graduate” From The AMU

Please allow me to reiterate some of the things which I wrote on 27 November 2009 (in blue):

We probably need to re-look at the issues we discuss on this Forum. One sometimes gets an impression that we need to ‘graduate’ from our alma mater. The motto on the AMU website for long read: ‘Enter to learn and depart to serve.’ It beckons us to focus on something different, possibly more pressing – utilizing the time and resources to the optimum level.

There is enough reason to have faith in the AMU Administration and to think that the issues could be sorted out within the Campus. I remember William Montgomery Watt, former professor at Edinburgh University, describing our behavior pattern as ‘inflationary’ (apart from ‘isolationist’ and ‘fixational’) i.e. taking some of the things beyond its due proportion.

There are numberless matters. We should, therefore, address the wildly important ones. I often remember the following one liner from Stephen R Covey, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” (The 8^th Habit, Free Press, New York – 2004 p. 160) Let’s not be the victims of misplaced priorities. Not any more.

Sir Syed did study in some educational Institution(s). He was an alumnus of a seat of learning. But he did not confine himself to that institution (or those Institutions) for his entire life. He established a new Institution. If we are the ones carrying his spirit and message forward we should truly follow him instead of only invoking his name. I always wonder how one person did establish a long-lasting Institution and thousands of the graduates of his College (later University) haven’t established even five Universities in far more favourable circumstances so far (1920-2010).

We as a people have lost the sense of proportion. We do not know how much time, resources and space to allocate to which of the issues and matters. I wonder how one University is taking up all our time and attention. What about the untold number of Institutions which need to be established and we are unmindful of them?

It was, however, very heartening to read the concluding remarks of Janab Nafisul Hasan Saheb in his recent post on the voiceofaligs@yahoogroups.com. The following lines are especially worth pondering upon (reproduced in blue and slightly edited):

“Aligarh Muslim University is not the only issue that community is facing. It is unfortunate that the Alig community remains obsessed with AMU and AMU only as if there is no other issue for the community. The community is facing educational backwardness, lack of jobs to Muslim youths, political bewilderness, social disorder, evils, woman empowerment, family welfare measures, ghettoization, and isolationism etc etc... 

We have seen turmoil in AMU. We have heard different views on the suspension of AMU students. We have heard voice of discontentment of teaching staff. We can only opine. The real job has to be done by VC and his team who have been appointed for running the University. Let them do their job. We the alumni should raise our voice if the University takes a step which is detrimental to the community as a whole. Thus, if there is an issue that affects the entire community (such as off campuses of AMU), the alumni can jointly submit a memorandum to the VC or the HRD Minister or file a PIL but we cannot keep on dictating our terms on the AMU authorities and discussing the AMU day and night – no it is not in our preview. In the present case of suspension, we can only appeal to the AMU authorities to be just in administering the AMU as the entire community looks at it with great hope. The community needs the attention of Aligs, the Muslim intellectuals for its development. Hence we must focus on the vision for the entire community. The AMU is only one part.”