Youth activism enjoying high time in AMU

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) grew out of the efforts of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a great visionary, activist and social reformer. It is an institution of national importance (Seventh Schedule, Article 246 of the Indian Constitution). Since Sir Syed himself was himself an activist with a missionary zeal, youth, or student activism at AMU has been a prominent feature of student life. Youth activists have played a significant role in bringing about changes which are important for both AMU, and the nation. Free of any favouritism on the lines of caste, creed, and regionalism, youth have fought for equal rights for all.

If we define youth activism, it may simply mean participation of youth in any movement seeking social change. Youth in AMU have played lead roles in public protests and advocacy against issues of crime, corruption, injustice against marginalised groups like minorities, national events that impact the life of the general public and even international matters like war, etc. AMU youth have been regularly organising peace marches, debates and group discussions to sensitise students on campus, national and international happenings.

Recently, AMU students took up the cause of two campus deaths. One was that of Hyderabad Central University research scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide, which is suspected to have been triggered by the university administration’s pressure on since he was a Dalit and an activist himself. The other was the murder of Alamgir, an AMU student, right in the heart of the campus in broad daylight. Students are demanding justice for the deaths of both of these students.

Currently, the Aligarh Activist Society (AAS) is playing a major role in voicing the concerns of students regarding various social issues. AAS is a group of students formed to promote intellectual discourses and student activism in AMU.

AAS recently raised funds for the AMU chapter of the Occupy UGC movement. Several students of AMU travelled to Delhi and took part in the movement against the HRD Ministry’s decision of doing away with non-net fellowships. Well, the matter is under a review committee and it is hoped that it will be resolved soon in favour of the students.

In January, a delegation of 10 research scholars met the Vice-Chancellor Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah, demanding the withdrawal of the Academic Council’s verdict to consider the children of AMU employees as internal students in university admissions. They convinced the V-C of the discriminatory ills of this decision which led to the V-C calling an emergency meeting of the Academic Council. He later announced the withdrawal of the decision through media.

These days, the matter of AMU’s minority ‘character’ is under intense discussion. A delegation of social activists from AMU met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It was to draw her attention to the central NDA government’s stand on the minority character of AMU. Ms. Gandhi said that she was well aware of the issue and assured the delegation that her party would take all the necessary measures required to put pressure on the NDA government.

Several other examples can also be given to highlight work of youth activists at AMU. Some young Aligarian activists are trying to bring together students of all backgrounds to raise their voice against campus issues like discrimination in selection to various student clubs, allotment of scholarships and admission into the Ph.D. programme etc.

Senior students like Yasir Arafat Turk, Ameen Ahmad .....

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Students role in AMU failed Aligarh- The movie

Aligarh the movie, which portrays the story of an Aligarh Muslim University professor, has sadly found few students interested in watching it, let alone taking up the cause of the movie. The movie, for very strange reasons, remains unscreened in Aligarh city as a section of city politicians as well as one Muslim outfit voiced anger against the title and subject of the movie.

Only one show of the movie was run in a multiplex in Aligarh city on 26 February, the day it released across India.

Before we discuss inertia regarding the movie in the AMU campus, let’s have a look at the movie, its story, and its connection with the university and the city.

Aligarh documents a brief period in the life of Professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras. He was a noted professor of Marathi Language in the Department of Modern Indian Languages. He lived a lonely life, mostly reserved in his apartment in Medical Colony and engrossed in listening, reading or writing poetry. His poetry collection even fetched him a literary award conferred by the Maharashtra government. One day in February 2009, he was filmed while having consensual sex with a rickshaw puller in his apartment by some local media persons.

The film traces Siras’ story from here. Since homosexuality was and is a crime in our country and AMU happens to be ultra sensitive about moral issues, Siras was suspended from his job. He was later even forced to vacate his official residence. He struggled to find accommodation in the city, and was even tortured in many ways by some university officials. Few people from the university fraternity sympathised with him. But, he shared his ordeals with a journalist who comes from Delhi. Goaded by journalist and activists, he fought against his suspension and his rights as a homosexual citizen of the society. Luckily, while his case is being fought, Section 377 of IPC which criminalises homosexuality was struck down by the Delhi High Court and he went on to win his case in Allahabad High Court. Ironically, just after a verdict is announced in his favour, he was found dead in his rented accommodation in Durga Wadi neighbourhood of Aligarh. The cause of his death, according to police, was possibly suicide because of consuming poison.

The story of Siras’ struggle to find acceptability with his sexual orientation in Aligarh is very sensitively handled by director Hansal Mehta. Siras’ character was marvellously essayed by Manoj Vajpayee, with fine assistance from Rajkumar Rao who played the role of Indian Express journalist Deepu Sebastian Edmond in the movie.

Aligarh won rave reviews from almost all leading film critics in India.

Aseen Chhabra in his rediff.com review said, “Aligarh is a very important film, a milestone in the history of Indian cinema that should start the much needed conversation how India treats a visible and yet often ignored minority group.”

However, the film failed at box office despite having good ratings from
critics.
Of many reasons behind its commercial failure, one important factor could be the lack of interest shown by the AMU community in the movie. Aligarh was supposed to generate maximum interest among AMU students and teachers as the story of the movie is based in the university itself. Even in Aligarh city, it was expected that people would like to watch a movie named after their home town.

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http://twocircles.net.html