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Kahoo(N) tujh se mai(N) ke kya hai, shab-e-gham buri balaa hai
Mujhe kya bura tha marna agar ek baar hota (Ghalib) Apropos your objection regarding ‘washing dirty linens’ you have raised a very fundamental question which pertains to the actual aims and objectives of the alumni networks/group-mails. Whether, these networks exist only to wish hi-hello with each other, or to bring matrimonial columns and job postings. If yes, then no needs to have such networks, individual mail IDs are enough to serve the purpose. So far as job advertisements and matrimonial columns are concerned, they are done in better ways by various newspapers and websites and many more legitimate/credible agencies.
With all humility and respect I wish to share with you that in my humble opinion, one of the most important objectives of such platforms are to debate the wrongs and rights of AMU. It is also a way of resolving such problems through persuasions and discussions. The viewpoints/appeals are exchanged with [or delivered to] the authorities/individuals concerned, and also with those who will ultimately do the needful.
In this particular case (Department of History), there is a case of misappropriation of public funds where a book [that came out of a seminar funded by the state funding agencies], was released by the Vice President of India. Obviously, it was absolutely immoral to maintain secrecy about this august ceremony. Secondly, even the Travelling Allowance (TA) to attend the ceremony on 22nd May 2008, has reportedly been claimed (may I be corrected?) from the AMU, which is a state funded institution. It was, needless to say, absolutely immoral, wrong, illegal to arbitrarily and whimsically keeping the Department un-informed, and sharing about it only with a selected few, that too unofficially.
Through such networks, not only I made/make an appeal to the VC/Registrar/Finance Officer/Old Boys etc to understand the gravity of the situation but also an appeal to the Chairman, Prof. Shahabuddin Iraqi, that a person occupying public position should not and can not misappropriate state money. [He can respond to it publicly defending his position, after all, I am not indulging in dark room manipulations against him, everything is quite open]
Secondly, there goes a saying that “self-criticism is pre-requisite for development”. By subjecting the affairs of AMU to public criticism/scrutiny, we also aim at bringing out correctives.
Your advice that one should raise such issues only on appropriate/right/internal platforms like the Board of Studies, Committee of Advanced Studies and Research, Academic Council, Executive Council, AMU-Court, Visitor, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and above them all the High Court and the Supreme Court etc, then by that (fallacious?) logic of yours, no issue of AMU should be debated by the alumni networks. In that case the networks won’t have any relevance and raison d’etre. And then, it would be quite wrong on your part to subscribe/run any alumni network. Isn’t it?
Conversely put, I beg to disagree with you on this issue as well, precisely because of the fact that, the history of the movement for upgrading the MAO College to AMU definitively suggests that the alumni have got every right to subject things to public scrutiny/criticism. This is to sensitize and galvanize the public opinion which is the essence of democracy and it is the democracy which allows you to run such networks and to enjoy the freedom of expression, to ensure accountability of those occupying public position. In short, misappropriation of public funds, violation of rules, inaction/misdeeds of various officials of AMU and all such ills must be discussed publicly that too widely and comprehensively.
I hope you are not among those Aligs who consider it blasphemous to subject the ills of AMU to public criticism, because such attitudes are classified as chauvinism and fanaticism, which are antithetical to democracy. Need I repeat that it is only democracy which allows you to have such platforms of discussion? Censoring the debates will lead to further deterioration, whereas raising such issues in public will lead to making people more and more accountable, which will further improve the systemic functioning, in this case, of AMU.
Exposing the ills of AMU is aimed at working towards rectifications and moreover, right to information is the basic of democracy. Informed people are powerful people who strengthen institutions. Dismissing/disapproving such exercises of galvanizing/mobilizing public opinion are an affront to democracy; it is proto-fascism, if not fascism per se. If your logic of censoring is extended a little further then what would follow from your opinion is that the poem, “Muslim University Ki Fariyaad” of Shahryar should be dubbed as an exercise in washing the dirty linen through poetry. For Heaven’s sake, do revise your opinion, sooner than later.
By dismissing such issues as petty internal affairs, you are basically shrugging away from the responsibility to take position on the issues like misappropriation of public fund by somebody who is occupying public position.
Last but not the least; let it be absolutely clarified that by raising questions I should not be misunderstood that I am maligning some individual. Rather, the fact of the matter is that, I am just trying to mobilize public opinion on what I think is wrong. If my position is wrong I will be righted, even by the person occupying the office. I also wish to add that even the VC has responded to various issues raised on such networks and has assured to rectify things. To me, it would be outrageous and unethical not to make such things public.
Do you still think that my exercise is wrong? Think twice before saying, ‘yes’. We should be thankful that the VC does read such mails and often responds assuring correctives.
Regards,
M. Sajjad, Lecturer, History, AMU.
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