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Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice
Chancellor Prof PK Abdul Azis while addressing a press conference
October 26, 2011 after inspecting the lands identified for the AMU
sub centre in Aurangabad and Malegaon categorically said that the
decision on the final location of AMU Maharashtra would be taken
only after the team returned to Aligarh – the university
headquarter. However, an analysis of the last few weeks before and
after the AMU team’s visit to Maharashtra reveals that a
deliberate attempt is going on to push the AMU Maharashtra into a
controversy.
Ironically, at the forefront of this cowardly hatched conspiracy
seems to be two Muslim ministers in the Govt of Maharashtra – one
Minister of Minority Development and Awkaf Arif Naseem Khan and the other Minister of State for
Primary Education and Awkaf Mrs. Fauzia Khan, who despite
occupying the positions which demanded justice, integrity and
responsibility are behaving in a manner which is exactly opposite
to these virtues.
Read the Urdu newspapers of the last fortnight and you will find
innumerable statements and news-bites issued by Arif Naseem Khan
suggesting that a decision in favour of Khuldabad near Aurangabad
for AMU sub centre had already been taken. While doing so, he
didn’t realise that as a minister it would be unwise for him to
make a biased statement in favour of a particular region. That too
just few days before the AMU team’s visit to the state and also
despite the fact that whatever decision the AMU would take, would
require the cabinet sanction. But no, the minister was issuing the
statement as if there was no government left in power and all that
remains in the state was a whole and sole authority that only lied
with him.
Incidentally, the AMU team’s visit to Maharashtra coincided with
the birth anniversary of Arif Naseem Khan and a huge amount, don’t
know by whom, was seemingly transferred to the accounts of the
Urdu newspapers for placing advertisements and publishing
magazines to greet the minister a longer life and highlight his
development works. Perhaps to oblige the minister, hence not a
single newspaper thought it necessary to verify the facts before
publishing the minister’s misleading statements. They didn’t stop
just here. During the AMU team’s Maharashtra visit, there were
protests in Aurangabad and Malegaon both. But, while they totally
ignored the protests staged by Shiv-Sena BJP combine at
Aurangabad, they exaggerated the protests by the local villagers
staged in Malegaon. One Urdu newspaper even used the headline
which said that ‘the AMU VC was gheraoed by the protestors in
Malegaon.’ Hundreds of people along with the AMU team and the
members of the AMU Alumni Association of Maharashtra are witness
to the fact that the headline is completely fabricated and far
from true.
There are therefore questions which naturally are bound to come in
the minds of the people. Why all this euphoria at the stage when
the proposal from Malegaon for establishment of the AMU sub-centre
was in the final stage? At whose behest the entire misleading
propaganda is being carried out? This is no longer a secret by now
that besides the strong opposition from the communal forces, a
powerful lobby among the Muslim community itself is opposed to the
very idea of the AMU sub-centre. Then there are the people part of
the education mafia, who think that establishment of the AMU
centre in the state is against their interests. Are they also
behind this dirty campaign? Don’t they realise that they are
causing irreparable damage to a project which can have its impact
on the generations to come?
The role of Minister of State for Primary Education and Awkaf, Mrs
Fauzia Khan is even more questionable. First, her associates tried
hard to make it sure that the AMU team did not visit Malegaon at
all. Once the visit to Malegaon became final, they came out with a
schedule which if followed the AMU team would have arrived in
Malegaon by sunset. Moreover, Principal Secretary of Minority
Development Department Mrs Thekkekara was called to Aurangabad to
accompany the AMU team to the proposed sites. Secretary of the
Minority Commission Mr. Syed Hashmi was also there. But not a
single officer from the Department of Higher & Technical Education
– under which establishment of the AMU sub-centre comes, was
present either in Aurangabad or Malegaon. And after the visit of
the AMU team in Aurangabad, we requested Mrs Fauzia Khan and Mrs
Thekkekara both or at least one of them to accompany us to
Malegaon. Both of them declined. Why? Wasn’t it fit for her as a
minister to accompany or at least send Mrs Thekkekara to Malegaon
with the inspecting team?
The irony is that while doing all this they are projecting as if
they are doing a national duty for the empowerment of the
community. If this indeed is a case, why Arif Naseem Khan and Mrs
Fauzia Khan did not show any interest about the AMU Maharashtra
despite our request to both of them made on November 23, 2009 –
the day they organised a function to mark the National Minority
Day. After the function
Mrs Fauzia Khan gave a detailed interview
to me for ummid.com and promised all support for the
AMU
Maharashtra. Then why she backtracked, if she was serious? She is
offering the Khuldabad land after three long years. Where were the
details of this land when Arif Naseem Khan had called a meeting of
35 District Magistrates of the state
on October 27, 2010 after the
state government received the preliminary consent from the Nasik
DM offering land near Malegaon for the proposed AMU centre? Why
the Khuldabad land could not be offered to the state government
when Arif Naseem Khan called another
meeting on January 24, 2011
when ADC Malegaon Yeshwant Sonawane submitted the detailed
proposal of land from Malegaon for the purpose? Where were the
people of Aurangabad when Mrs Thekkakara herself had along with
the Principal Secretary of Higher & Technical Education Department
called a meeting to discuss the AMU Maharashtra on April 26, 2011?
No one was in the picture till few months back. In every meeting
called to discuss the matter, reports were submitted that there
was no land available in Maharashtra. But when the
Higher &
Technical Education Department forwarded the proposal of Malegaon
in April 2011 for Vice Chancellor’s approval, all of a sudden
these people are staking their claim. Worse, they are also
receiving the backing and support from the Muslim ministers, who
could not do much during these three years for the AMU
Maharashtra.
My point is that why the enthusiasm which Arif Naseem Khan and Mrs
Fauzia Khan are showing about the AMU Maharashtra now is not
visible for making a success on the grounds the construction of
the Haj House in Aurangabad, establishment of Polytechnic/ITI in
five districts, construction of Urdu Ghar in five districts
including Aurangabad, construction of girls’ hostel and a host of
other schemes announced by them for the development of the
community in last few years? If non-availability of the land for
all these projects is the excuse which they repeatedly claim, my
own letter offering the land for a Govt. Polytechnic in Malegaon
is lying with Mrs. Thekkekara. Why the Minority Development
Department and they are not taking any decision on my offer? They
will not and will never.
Their suddenly born interest in the
AMU Maharashtra is also not only a clear attempt to keep people of
Malegaon marginalised by denying them the AMU centre for which
they have tirelessly worked in last three years, but it is also a
move to push the project into a controversy. It is now up-to the
AMU team led by Vice Chancellor Prof PK Abdul Azis to decide how
it saves the AMU Maharashtra from going the Bihar way.
Executive Editor of
http://www.ummid.com, Aleem
Faizee is also the Chairman of Noble Education & Society (NEWS),
Malegaon. NEWS has in the past three years tirelessly worked
for making AMU Maharashtra a reality.
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