Monday 17 October 2016

A letter to fellow Proud Aligs

Dear fellow proud Aligs,
I had written these lines a day before 17th October (our founders birthday), but i thought not to disturb you amid your celebrations of SS day and most importantly for SS day dinner. Now, when the day long celebrations are over with special Dinner which I hope all of you would have enjoyed, I am posting it here. Hope you read this with utmost attention. 
At the times when the Muslims of India are facing the threat to their existence, the role of Institutions like AMU becomes many fold. The university which was established to raise the standards of Muslims of India, to bring them at par with other communities is almost dead now in terms of its larger objectives.We may have produced enough number of Graduates, postgraduates or Doctorates who may be working at good positions, but this university has failed to produce a social reformer/educationist who could have filled the vacuum left behind (on the death of Sir Syed) and who could have worked to awaken the community from deep slumbers. Aah!, what could be the fate of that community which brags only about the past, which in reality never belonged to it? Mercy, My lord!!
David Lelyveld in his essay for a book "Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Muslim Renaissance Man" authored by professor A.R. Kidwai writes,
Sir Syed was the person who believed that there was no honour in being the unworthy heirs of a glorious past and that is why in later part of his life Sir Syed did not talk about in terms of genealogies but rather refer to social category identified as the Muslims of India but he was never dismissive about the past. David is not off the mark in asserting that the design of the Aligarh College buildings, which Sir Syed so meticulously oversaw, expressed continuities with the Mughal past along with a conscious effort to integrate that past to styles associated with the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge.
But what we are observing today in almost every speech ( whether by VC, PVC, professors or of any student ) is glamouring the past of AMU in such a way that no one feels any kind of need to look within, to rectify the mistakes which have denigrated this institution in every field.One must be proud of his/her past, but it needs to be understood that speaking good about the past only is not going to solve all the mysteries.
In today's times the AMU is going through a vulnerable phase;
the battle for Minority status of university is almost lost, the corruption in administration has touched the new records (almost there are 10 cases in various courts challenging the different appointments made by present administration), the academic standards are yet to be modernized, the research is meant for degrees only, the campus has turned the security garrison, there is deficiency of funds from UGC, and most importantly, when a day marked to celebrate the birthday of our university's beloved Founder experiences three different "Sit in's" at different places in university, one can easily guess How good is Mission of Sir Syed accomplished.
And when a central university established for the welfare of particular minority is facing such kind of problems within, one can also easily guess the Fate of that community in such times. Sir Syed has done his job, but whether the objectives of his work are being fulfilled or not is a big question. To mark his 199th birthday, the biggest tribute to his soul would be to 'raise offensive questions' within and outside because, it was Sir Syed himself who has left this legacy of "Questioning" behind.
Allama Iqbal (R.A) while commenting about the legendary work of Sir Syed (R.A) said;
"The real greatness of the man (Sir Syed) consists in the fact that he was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it."
Therefore, only speaking good about Him that too for a single day is not going to make us "Proud Aligs". we can't be hypocrites, we are answerable to Almighty Allah as what good have we done to this University.Joining this university only to get degrees is a disservice to the Founder and this institution.
Dear, Proud Aligs;
Remember, this Institution needs you now, don't let this institution die its unnatural death.This Institution is not a "Factory of Degrees", like any other university but a Movement aimed for social, economic, educational and religious upliftment of our community.
Read at least one book on "Sir Syed" or "Aligarh Movement" and then decide where are we nowadays?
Read, Think, Decide, Question and Work.
Let's be change. Let's make this institution a movement again.
Dear Aligs, remember, there are millions of our brethren who have pined their hopes on us, they unlike us are not as privileged to speak or write, but they are our part and we shall not forget them.
And don't ever think that we are helpless and hence can do anything,see what Syed had said a long before;
We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power… the battle, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.”
lastly, here is what Syed believed, will raise the honour and respect of our community:
"I hope you will try to set an example in both scholarly pursuits and the practice of Islam. Only then will our community be honored and respected".
Let us pledge to follow the teachings of Sir Syed in letter and spirit keeping in mind the sacrifices and hardwork, he has made for our betterment.
let us rise above our personal differences, and work for the betterment of whole humanity and for our community in particular.
Let us understand the immense transformative power of education,which  Sir Syed professed throughout his life, and work on his mantra of "dialogue and discussion" as a means of powerful resolving  to overcome our weaknesses and  differences.

With Love.
Mannan Wani
A proud Alig.

5 comments:

  1. Inspiration... Inshallah we will meet in jaanah.. I stand with u. Whether my fingers touch keypad r trigger.. We lose a gem on 11octomber 2018 .. Bt his ideolgy survived till last hour..

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