S. Mustafa Zaidi Hony. Secretary | Teaching Staff Club, AMU, Aligarh-202002 0571-3203520 (O); 09411802364 (M) 0571-2720011 (R); |
May 13, 2011
The Vice Chancellor
AMU, Aligarh
Sir,
After the recent unfortunate incidents and the sine-die closure of the University, you had announced institution of an impartial enquiry. A time bound enquiry had also been demanded by the AMUTA General Body held on May 01, 2011. However, despite twelve days having passed no enquiry is so far set up by the University and neither is there any indication that such an action is contemplated.
The General Body of AMUTA in the meeting referred to above has demanded the removal of the Proctor forthwith because of reports of his being actively involved in the worsening of the situation with sufficient body of evidence on record. However, we had demanded an enquiry as culpability of the parties involved in the incidents was to be established. There was and there is a need to find out the correct sequence of events which unfolded that day for which there is a need to get the call records of persons involved (we drew your attention to this in our meting on 2.5.11).
However, ignoring the principles of natural justice and enquiry, action against students has been initiated, including against the office bearers of the Students Union. Over 40 students have been suspended. These suspensions mean that students are found prima-facie guilty, but how was the guilt established, who conducted the enquiry and how was it conducted. There are allegations that some totally innocent students who were not even at the scene of the incident have been named in FIRs and suspended, how could this be done when reportedly the hard disk of the image record was found corrupted. From all indications the Proctor was an interested party during the whole episode, his public statements in the press substantiate this suspicion. Therefore, to rely on his report without independent corroboration is against the principles of enquiry.
There is a feeling on the campus that the University administration and you as Vice-Chancellor have no intention to institute any enquiry (this has happened in the past also) and have resorted to this method to terrorize and silence dissent of your policies by persons who are critical of your style of functioning over the last three years.
The Association would like to draw your attention to the following:
1. During the last six months there have been incidents of encouraging and pampering the students by not taking up cases of gross indiscipline committed by them, such as misbehaviour with the teachers of Sir Ziauddin Dental College regarding the marks of some students, as well as the cases of copying in Faculty of Law, Department of Geography, University Polytechnic and walkout in the Faculty of Commerce.
2. The Administrative Block was locked up by the students for two days, which resulted in the resignation of the then Proctor, Prof. M. Zubair Khan, and subsequent appointment of Prof. Mujahid Beg. No police help was sought during this period, which hints at a command performance.
3. A Provost was advised by the Proctor to accede to a totally unjust demand of not charging ‘deficit’ made by a section of students, in his presence.
4. The Proctor all through was working as a facilitator of the unreasonable demands made by sections of students on a number of occasions.
5. The Deputy Controller, Mr. S.M. Rizwanur Rahman was assaulted in his office.
No action was taken at that time on any of the incidents mentioned above; on the other hand the Vice-Chancellor notified a re-supplementary for the Dental College
6. Serving show cause notices and suspending students now, instead of immediately at the time of the incidents, without conducting a proper enquiry, hints at manipulation and scheming to get rid of students who have become inconvenient and a liability to the University administration in the present circumstances.
7. The violent incident at the Proctor’s office happened in the presence of the Proctor, his staff and a senior officer of the district administration. Propriety demands that the senior officer’s evidence should also be taken on record and made public, which is only possible with a thorough enquiry.
8. Of the students who got injured, how many were inside the Proctor’s office and how many outside and who among them was asked to come there and by whom? Only call records can provide authentic information which would again require an enquiry.
The Association would also like to remind you that, many times earlier also inquiries had been promised without the enquiries instituted or not having been completed as yet. For example, the Justice Faizanuddin Enquiry into the incident of September, 2007 could not even be started. There have been many enquiries ordered by the Executive Council which were not allowed to proceed to completion.
We would, therefore, request that at least this time all actions, barring the removal of the Proctor, should be initiated only after a proper time bound enquiry is held.
With regards,
Sincerely yours,
(S. Mustafa Zaidi)
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