By Mohd Asim
Things are going from bad to worse at AMU. As the tyranny of distance (140 km from Delhi) ensures that the AMU escapes the national media radar, VC Tariq Mansoor has unleashed his mafia raj under the patronage of a ruthless state govt and police.
Since mid-December, students have been under direct assault from this VC-Police nexus. They have been beaten up, thrown out and humiliated. And the harassment continues.
Yesterday, VC issued a threat under the garb of an appeal to shut down the university sine die if the students do not resume classes and exams today.
While December events and police action is well-know, it is important to know what happened on January 26. The VC has alleged that some students and outsiders disrupted the official Republic Day function and has taken refuge behind the “Patriotism” argument (Like his Sanghi bosses) to justify his crackdown. Students and responsible teachers have told me that no disruption happened.
Students raised “VC Go Back” slogans after the function concluded. The VC got his hired goons to beat up students after the event. It was a repeat of JNU incident. Yes, ‘masked goons’ hired by the administration thrashed students who were protesting against the VC and were demanding his removal. And yet, the very students who were beaten by the goons were handed over to the police while none of the masked goons were arrested or found.
Students are protesting and rightly demanding VC’s resignation, who refuses to even talk to them and listen to their genuine grievances. All he does is dole out threats of shutting down the university.
Some tough questions need to be asked keeping in view the actions (inaction) of VC so far
Why doesn’t he act at least against proctor and others in the admin who have left the students at the mercy of police?
Why has police and AMU administration, who have been working in perfect tango for long, been unable to identify or act against goons who beat up students on Jan 26?
Are UP police and govt using the VC and his gang to malign the university and shut it down indefinitely?
Or is it the other way round: VC using UP police to terrorise the students and quash protests, which are part of the countrywide movement, to please his political masters?
Tough questions also need to be asked on AMU teachers:
Why have they failed so miserably in coming in support of students who have been at the receiving end of AMU admin and state repression?
Why don’t they negotiate with VC to provide some relief to students and find common ground?
Why do even some of the vocal faculty members lose their voice when they meet the arrogant VC?
They have proved to be the most spineless spectators of brutal repression of their students. Why?
Advice to the Students:
Your fight is just. You must fight.
But protest with a little tact. Don’t give this arrogant VC an excuse to shut the university.
So I suggest you guys resume classes and exams. Reschedule your protest for after hours.
Boycott the VC. Shame him at public events. Plaster the campus with slogans, protest art, don’t rest till he is shamed into listening to you. Let him rot in his ivory tower of arrogance.
Also, shame/ boycott the teachers, who don’t take a clear stand. Attend classes, but make clear to them that they have lost your respect and they need to earn it back.
Pressurise teachers to also boycott the VC.
Long Live Resistance. Long Live AMU.
(This article is reproduced from his Facebook post. Views are personal.)
