Image Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
After the students’ association, teaching and non-teaching staff wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor and Registrar of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) ‘expelling’ them from their post for inaction against police brutalities against students, an alumnus of the university, AG Danish, has written an open letter to the Vice Chancellor, expressing his anguish and anger at the inefficiency with which the crisis was handled by the administration.
Speaking about how the actions of the VC, whose office is showered with adulation and respect, have shocked every student of the university, he says, “The recent happenings force me to expresses my anguish and anger at the way you and your administration has handled the crisis by the unjust action caused by your invitation to the police inside the campus. What shocks me most is your own admission of having invited the police inside the campus and now your justification by reeling out past incidents. Yes, Aftab got ‘shahdat’ in front of our eyes, but everyone saw the exit of then VC Sayyid Hamid Sahab and so on and so forth. Maybe you are unaware or not made aware by your sycophants that not only were the students beaten mercilessly but the vandalism and chaos created by the police leaves us at a loss of words to understand the venom that they have against us.”
He said what shocked him the most was that the VC himself being an alumnus of the prestigious university allowed this “naked dance of aggression” in his own home and on his own brethren.
The VC had admitted to calling the police to the campus on the night of December 15 when students were peacefully protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and in solidarity with the police force on the students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU). He had said that he had got to know of ‘anarchist elements’ entering the elements and was compelled to call the police on campus. What ensued was a bloodbath, with the police firing pellets, resorting to lathi charge and lobbing tear gas on students indiscriminately.
Danish’s letter also read, “Kindly be advised that demonstration against atrocities is our right as citizens of India. I hold you responsible for the sorry state of affairs and demand that you as Vice Chancellor should accept moral responsibility and resign from the esteemed post on your own. Registrar should be fired by you. Additionally you and Registrar should get the damages, caused by the guests invited by you, repaired at your personal cost.”
Danish categorically said that he rejected the VC’s lip service of visiting the injured in the hospital or appointing the injured on an ad hoc basis on the rolls of the university. I also demand a judicial enquiry by a sitting judge to investigate the atrocities committed by your guests.
His concluding statement read, “Had it not been for the post of Vice Chancellor that you hold of my esteemed alma mater, I would have personally lodged a criminal case against you.”
In the state-sponsored violence on the students of AMU, one lost his hand due to tear gas shelling and many were injured. The police, apart from using brute force against the students, also used abusive language and religious slurs, apart from damaging university property.
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