Amnah Khalid, BeyondHeadlines
Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh): The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) today closed sine die following a cross fire between two groups of students outside the proctor’s office. The hostlers of India’s largest residential university have been asked to vacate their hostels within the next 48 hours.
The varsity campus was rocked yesterday after two groups of students clashed with each other, during which 12 students were injured in the cross fire outside the proctor’s office, the police said. With an aim to avoid any untoward incident, contingents of Rapid Action Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed, said the police.
Mushtaq Ahmed, a student leader, told BeyondHeadlines that some outsiders in connivance with few students opened fire at their group and some of them hid inside the Procter’s office at around 8 p.m. yesterday. Mushtaq, who was beaten up on April 28, alleged that some teachers were involved in this incident.
Soon, after there was free-for-all firing among both the groups near the Procter’s office. The police sent all 12 injured students to the hospital after the clash. SSP Aligarh Satyender Vir Singh and other police officials were prevented by the enraged students from entering the AMU campus.
AMU Registrar Prof. V. K. Abdul Jaleel, while issuing the notice, said that all students had been ordered to vacate their hostels within 48 hours.
According to a notification issued by the assistant controller (examinations), all examinations falling on April 30, 2011, have been postponed. Further date will be announced later.
AMU Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis has assured the students that the university will be reopened within a short time and that all examinations will be rescheduled. He said that it would be ensured that no academic loss of the students takes place.
Azis said that the University had received several reports of misbehavior and group clashes in various halls of residence and outside. The decision of sine die was taken to save the life of the students and maintain peace and harmony among the university community.
The vice chancellor has appealed to the students to vacate the hostels immediately. He said that special trains and buses have been arranged to facilitate the students to reach their houses safe and secured.
Prof. Azis appealed to the university community to cooperate with the university administration to diffuse the situation and to maintain the peace and harmony in the campus.
Taliking to BeyondHeadlines, AMU Students Union (AMUSU) President Abu Affan Farooquee said: “It is highly regretful that the university administration has taken an utterly unfortunate decision to close the university sine die. For the acts of a select few, the career of 28,000 students is being jeopardized. Most of the faculties are conducting semester or annual examinations. Final year students have been placed in different companies are at the risk of losing their jobs due to delay in final examinations and hence their final marks sheets.”
He further said that AMUSU was in process of organizing a Mega Job Fair tomorrow where some more than 19 multi-national companies had consented to conduct job interviews. He said that many students would also lose their selection at various seats of higher studies because of the delay in their examination. Entrance tests of various courses are also under process, and closing university at such a time would cause a great inconvenience to the parents and students, Affan told the BH.
Terming the decision made by the varsity administration to close sine die unnecessary, autocratic and against the interest and welfare of the AMU, Affan has requested the students not to vacate their hall of residences and accommodations before the initial deadline of 48 hours.
“We are trying to resolve the issue of the uncalled for closure, the decision of which has been hastily taken without proper consultations of deans, chairmen and Students Union based on the whims and fancies of the district administration,” Affan said.
