Our Agenda for the AMU Old Boys ‘Association, Delhi From Elite Social Club to a Purposeful Pressure Group Wrongly or rightly, there persists a perception that the AMU Old Boys’ Association (OBA) is more a social club of elites whose occasional gathering is essentially more for Sir Syed day dinner, Iftars, mushairas, and other such recreational-literary cultural activities which serves very limited purpose. Whereas, given its composition of intelligentsia it is expected to remain alive to the issues confronted by the India’s secular democracy and its significant component, the Muslims, as also to other subordinated marginalized groups. In short, the AMUOBA (Delhi and other Chapters) has to be transformed into an effective political tool with the objective of strengthening India’s democracy by raising pressing issues that our alma mater faces. Way back in 1899, the Old Boys’ Association was raised as a body to develop the MAO College into a Muslim University. Its precise objective was to raise fund (mainly through dinners on the Sir Syed Day, 17 October) and go for assertive political mobilization for the purpose. It fructified in 1920, howsoever without getting the power to affiliate educational institutions across India. As the Aligarh Movement has had the purpose of educational upliftment, win educated informed, assertive political leadership for the community; the AMUOBA cannot shy away from this challenging responsibility. While the AMU itself is face to face with many challenges that also include its minority character and Off-Campus Centres, let us first touch upon these issues: 1. Minority Character-The issue is sub judice before a larger constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. We are fully conscious of the fact and we shouldn’t be doing anything that betrays an impression of institutional subversion of the Supreme Court; we must have trust in that wonderful institution. Nonetheless, we must not sit idle, we have to collect all kinds of historical facts and interpretations that help our advocates and judges convince that this is an institution established for and by the community, hence its claim for minority character. To that effect we are in touch with some professional historians, advocates, and even the informed bureaucrats. We ought to furnish and equip them with all such evidences/arguments, to the best of our limited abilities. 2. Off-Campus Centres- Two Centers are running and few more are about to come up hopefully. While it remains a contentious issue even among the Aligs, we simply ought to say that legality is to be determined by the government, but we cannot close our eyes on the administrative capabilities of parent AMU in running such centers. We press that the union government must provide these Centres with additional man-power of teaching and non-teaching positions and fund, rather than taxing the financial and human resources of the AMU. Moreover, these Centres should immediately be provided with a residential Girls’ College, Polytechnic, B. Ed., and other employable courses with specific preference in enrollments and recruitment for Urdu speaking communities. This kind of admission policy can be formulated by the AMU as mentor of the upcoming Centres. which may further grow up as autonomous universities. 3. AMUOBA Endowment Fund- Unlike the IIT Alumni, we have not been able to provide adequate pay back to our alma mater, (except the Nadim Tarin Hall, which is an individual’s rather than a collective effort). We ought to create an endowment fund to help out the financially needy and promising students helping them to pursue their studies. Other fora (mainly of NRIs- like the Aligarh forum, and the Bihar Anjuman), may or may not constituted of AMU alumni, are doing laudatory works towards this direction and they are helping out many students across India in pursuing education and getting costly medical treatment. It is now a moral obligation on the AMUOBA, Delhi and other chapters to raise such missionary endowments. We take this election as an opportunity to make a pledge to make it possible at the earliest. 4. Muslim Youth- An ominous witch-hunting against the professionally educated Muslim youth has taken place by framing them in terror cases. This is perilous for our democracy. Some of the Aligs associated with certain pro-active Civil Society groups have been fighting this battle in law courts, media, and elsewhere. We must not hesitate in confessing that the AMUOBA, Delhi, as a body/group has remained passive on, if not insensitive to, the issue. We have to see to it that this sorry state of affairs is not going to persist any more. The Aligarh Law Association (ALA) of Delhi, and the OBA has got the moral responsibility of joining the issue from the forefront in a pro-active manner in synergy and coordination with such Civil Society groups. 5. Consolidate AMUOBA at a National Level- Other major cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Patna, Lucknow, etc. must have a duly registered body of the AMU Old Boys with periodic elections. The collective strength of such duly registered bodies/societies will hopefully do wonderful works in mounting pressure not only on the Union government but also on the provincial ones, as well as in taking initiatives and raising resources for helping out the vulnerable and subordinated sections of the society. 6. Bridge building between AMU authorities & Student Community during Crisis- Given the fact that AMU is a largest residential university, it remains face to face with issues of law and order, besides, the problem of academic governance. Too soft a VC is taken for a ride arguably by the vested interests, and too tough a VC ends up earning the unpleasant epithets like autocrat. In either case the alma mater ends up getting embarrassments in the media and also suffers from administrative deadlocks and academic stagnation. The AMU-OBA in the capacity of a pressure group should act as moderator in striking a balance to the best of its capabilities without interfering much in the internal matters of the AMU. The bodies like the Executive Council, the AMU Court, and the Academic Council must have comprehensive debates on all issues. We can only contribute, to some extent, towards making such debates as informed as possible, with sufficient space of dissent. 7. Build Industry interface with various professional course Placement cell- It is an extra ordinary venture to talk about, yet, if the AMUOBA, Delhi really makes efforts towards galvanizing the industry bigwigs and put across a positive face of AMU and its talented legacy. This is how the OBA will connect itself with the student community. 8. Galvanize Public Opinion on pressing national & minorities issues- A lecture series ideally every three months on the issues of importance by eminent speakers will help us in awareness campaign and opinion mobilization besides dispelling unsavioury myths and prejudices. Among many other issues, the falling quality of education in Muslim managed schools/colleges across India, gross irregularities in the Waqf management would be taken up on priority basis. Streamlining the Waqf resources and management would go a long way in taking care of the education and health care needs of the community. Debatably, sole dependence on the state may not serve our purposes well. We need to sensitize the community and the nation on such type of issues. 9. AMU City Center in Delhi- For such and many other purposes the AMUOBA, Delhi ought to have a Convention/City Centre in Delhi, which will not only emerge as our cultural activities but also as gathering for meaningful political interventions and other constructive purposes. Felicitating more accomplished alumni will be a source of inspiration for the upcoming Aligs. How will these agenda see the light of the day? Each of these agenda will be broken down into projects and will be assigned to domain experts along with a project team that will comprise of members from my AMUOBA team and members from the alumni fraternity. We will ensure that this agenda will be pursued and timely progress will be monitored & communicated to all of you through updates in social media. We pledge that Irshad Sb will lead from the front and will ensure that AMUOBA walks the talk and will take the near defunct body to its next level. About Irshad Ahmad Irshad Ahmad is a M Tech in Mechanical Engineering from AMU. He has spent time at Middle East and presently runs an engineering firm that operates out of Delhi. During his stint at AMU he was the Senior Proctorial Monitor. He has been active in public life and is the National Secretary of Janta Dal (United). He was also the general secretary of Janta Dal (U) (Youth wing). He is passionate about politics and has a vision as well as the rigor to take the Aligarh Movement forward. PS: Please feel free to post your feedback & Suggestion on the proposed agenda on my e mail irshad4presidentamuoba@gmail Truly yours Supporters of Mohd Irshad Ahmad, President Candidate, AMUOBA, Delhi
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 18:35:25 +0000
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