The Aligarh Muslim University Teachers Association, along with several prominent varsity alumni, will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on October 15, demanding a full-time Vice Chancellor and highlighting other irregularities at the institution. The announcement was made by the Joint Action Committee in a meeting on Saturday.
JAC convenor and former AMU students’ union president Azam Baig said that teachers’ representatives of all leading central universities and prominent alumni of AMU will participate in the dharna.
Baig said the sit-in is being held to highlight the growing crisis at AMU resulting from the undermining of all internal democratic institutions and the “violation of the rules and regulations as enshrined in the constitution of the university.” Baig said prominent alumni of the institution and some former Vice Chancellors are being mobilised to approach MPs, the central education ministry, and the visitor of the university to draw their attention to the long-term damage the varsity stands to suffer if the prevailing situation continues.
The AMU Old Boys’ Association has urged alumni in and outside the country to observe the annual Sir Syed day on October 17 as “Save AMU Day.” Baig said, mass movement notwithstanding, students of AMU have been advised to stay away from all protests, as JAC is of the opinion that nothing should be done to disturb the academic career of the students.
The JAC’s Saturday meeting was presided over by Baseer Ahmad Khan, former Pro-VC of Indira Gandhi Open University and former president of the AMU Students Union.
Last month, two Samajwadi Party MPs had written separate letters to President Droupadi Murmu expressing their concern over the «unusual delay» in the appointment of a regular Vice-Chancellor of the AMU.