Teachers are angry over intention of the University administration to not hold elections for to the vacant posts in the AMU Court, Academic Council and Executive Council.
Report (Shozab Muneer)
(Aligarh) For the past several years, there has been a lot of resentment not only among students but also among teachers due to the vacancy of more than a hundred posts in the highest governing bodies, the AMU Court, Academic Council and Executive Council. In the past, students have been trying to have the elections under the democratic system in adherence to the Act of the University passed by the Parliament of India, now the AMU Teachers Association is also seen entering the fray.
In Aligarh Muslim University there have been no directly elected representatives under various categories in the AMU Court, Academic Council and EC for the past several years, why? The Muslim University administration is not serious about holding elections, while the Lok Sabha members are being elected in the AMU court but the seats of teachers, students and non-teaching staff representatives are being kept vacant for the last six years, which proves that the AMU administration itself is not serious about the elections. These views were expressed by the AMU Teachers Association and the four members of the Executive Council in a joint press conference at the Staff Club.
Talking to reporters, AMUTA President Professor Muhammad Khalid severely criticized the university administration and said that a conspiracy is being hatched to end the democratic process in AMU. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called AMU ‘MINI INDIA’, but the democratic situation here is quite bad. Until the democratic system is restored in AMU, transparency will not come. He warned that if the AMU administration does not hold elections soon, the teachers will be forced to go on hunger strike and protest.
Meanwhile, while talking to reporters, AMUTA Secretary Obaid Ahmed Siddiqui made serious allegations against the university administration and said that the AMU administration does not seem to be serious about holding elections. He said that the AMU Court consists of members from different categories, including teachers, student representatives, elected representatives of non-teaching staff and outside educationists. He said that in this body consisting of 194 seats, more than a hundred seats representing teachers and students are lying vacant, but the university administration has not been holding elections on them for the last 6 years, i.e. after 2017. He said that elections were not held even during the tenure of AMU Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor with a one-year extension in his tenure, now MLC at Uttar Pradesh and BJP National Vice President.
Following suit, the proceeded Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Gulrez initiated no process during his tenure and now with the new Vice Chancellor Prof. Naeema Khatoon the situation remains the same even after one year of her tenure.He alleged that the Muslim University administration is planning to elect the Chancellor and Treasurer from the old members without electing new members after the expiry of the term of the AMU Court members, which has caused deep dissatisfaction in the AMU Teachers Association. Teachers say that this entire process is undemocratic and against transparency.
AMU Executive Council elected member Prof. Moinuddin said that teachers have not been elected in the Academic Council for the last five to six years. He said that all the posts are clearly mentioned in the AMU Act and it is necessary for the university administration to hold elections to fill them. But the AMU administration is deliberately not holding elections so that teachers and students cannot raise their voices for their rights or challenge as a collectivity the actions of the Vice Chancellor.
At the press conference, the teachers also raised the question that when the Government of India has filled the vacant seats of its nominated members, then why is the AMU administration delaying the filling up of the seats of teachers, students and non-teaching staff in various bodies? AMU Executive Council member Muhammad Murad said that democratic institutions like the AMU Court and the Academic Council need to be strengthened. He demanded that the AMU Court meeting be convened immediately and elections be held to fill the vacant seats.
