On Anil Maheshwari s book entitled “AMU”!!!! Comments by Prof. Ariful Islam

On Anil Maheshwari s book entitled “AMU”!!!!
First Comment
The author has included Athar Farooqi s Forword which states
” AMU doesn’t value books ۔ If it is not interested in making the works of its founder available ، as explained earlier، it can’t be expected other books on its history ۔ The first book on the history of MAO College by SK Bhatnager could only be published due to the interest of the then provost of Sir Syed Hall through the donations of the residents of the hall۔”
It was indeed the outcome of senior students untiring efforts of the hall۔ It was my first year at AMU as a resident of the hall ۔ Profesor K A Nizami was the highly respected and loved provost of SS Hall۔

About Farooqi s comment that AMU DOESNT VALUE BOOKS ، it is true for almost all educated Muslims ۔ I can claim this on the basis of my long experience as a teacher at AMU and several other universities of the Muslim world۔
It is true for AMU too.
They hate controversies , although no academic and intellectual development is possible without Controversy.

Anil Maheshwari s must read book;
AMU :INSTITUTION OF LEARNING OR IDENTITY.
Second Comment:
Let me suggest at the outset that it is both ,instead of Or it must have been And.

Ather Farooqui makes valuable comments about two VC s , Nasem Ahmad and Syed Hamid.
” I can’t resist mentioning that it ( reservation issue ) reached high court due to the inept handling by the then VC ,Naseem Ahmad , who ironically was a trained lawyer. In later years he was booked by the CBI, the agency couldn’t move to prosecute him due to outdated law requiring a presidential node for prosecuting an IAS “
I certainly agree with Farooqui s first statement about mishandling the reservation issue but have no knowledge of him being booked by CBI.
Farooqui writes about another VC , Syed Hamid
” AMU during Saiyed Hamid s tenure as VC 1980-85 , was the first Indian university to recognise the degrees of dini madaris formally. After 1980 the university ethos has been dominated by a madarsa mentality giving anti Muslim forces a boost”
I can’t agree more with this analysis.
Indeed he was the first Mullah VC and deliberately turned the university into an orthodox madarsa. Added to it this , his PVC and Controller (of Exams and Admissions) were financially corrupt under his full patronage.
He launched SS s Tehzibul Akhlaque to appease his Congress political masters .
Most of the time Mullahs have been its editors who are ideologically opposed to SS educational religious political and cultural views. The magazine is carrying on the mission that too in the name of Sir Syed.
Indeed universities fall and rise with the vision and mission of its VC s.
Let me add that the last surgeon VC injected Corruption virus into AMU s veins and worked as loyal party worker and left no stone unturned to appease his political masters.
Unfortunately the present VC is also treading on his foot steps running the affairs with the same corrupt teachers and taking biased decisions .

Anil Maheshwari s must read book:
AMU
INSTITUTION OF LEARNING OR IDENTITY.
Third Comment.
Pervez Hoodbhoy writes;
“Although conceived as a vehicle for modernising the Muslim mind ,in recent decades , AMU has veered towards becoming a Muslim ( intellectual) ghetto. Inbreeding illiberalism and Islamic revivalism are threatening to remove it from the mainstream of Indian and international academia.”

It is so true that I wish to congratulate the columnist author intellectual, sitting in a foreign country, having such a deep understanding of Aligarh.
I myself, as a resident student and teacher for so long can testify to whatever he has written. Almost all Sectarian so called Islamic groups among teachers and students have completely destroyed everything associated with Liberalism, Modernity and SS s vision and mission.
The ultimate aim of almost all teachers is to get some position of power and to use it to promote Sectarianism , Regionalism ..to get persons of their choice appointmented with the help of the VC totally disregarding any academic criteria .

Anil Maheshwari s must read book
AMU
INSTITUTION OF LEARNING OR IDENTITY
Fourth Comment:
I wish to really thank Anil ji for enlightening me and the readers about why SS choose Aligarh city for the institution ۔He writes
” Sir Syed had never seen Aligarh before his transfer to that town from Ghazipur in 1864. That was the year the railway line opened up , connecting Delhi with Calcutta, the then capital of British India, Aligarh was on the main line .
In Aligarh, Sir Syed found an enthusiasm for his educational efforts that he has not encountered previously. Khwaja Mohd Yusuf , a prominent town citizen ,was keen to have the proposed college at Aligarh . There were well to do Muslim landlords ( Sherwanis , Chattaris ..) in the vicinity. They had good relations with the colonial rulers . The Scientific Society also flourished here. …Another attraction of Aligarh the availability of availability of revenue free land.”
The Aligarh landlords whole heartedly supported Sir Syed with financial and land contributions which greatly helped him to establish the college at the laidback town.
Arif Islam..

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