SANJOG-BHU-AMU

C1-42 B M.I.G Flats,

JANAKPURI, NEW DELHI-110058

                                                                                         POLITICS AROUND AMU & BHU                                                                                               

                            

 

                                                                                                                                                                                    - SANJOG MAHEHWARI

 Hinduism is a way of life that epitomizes pure secularism to the extent that it could just be another name for secularism- not our Demagogue brand pseudo secularism-, which our politicians unabashedly employ to foster and nurture the minority vote-bank, but the secularism which preaches the lofty ideals of “Vasudev kutumbakam”. Both the great Indians-Madan Mohan Malaviyaji and Sir Syed Ahmed - could be described as the ambassadors of this secularism in the spirit of which they founded the respective institutes of great learning and research. If these institutes they fondly nurtured with great devotion and care, have shown occasional signs of digression from the lofty ideals of their founders how can one blame their founding fathers?

. During my five years of association with the A.M.U. as its student, I had no occasion even to remotely suspect anybody harbouring any discrimination or bias between communities. At the Hadi Hasan Hall of the hostel we all were part of a great family- I was “Sanjog Bhai” for every body and every one “so- and –so- bhai” for me. I am sure my other Hindu class-fellows of those days will bear me out when I say that we will always cherish and share memories of our joyful association with Muslim friends during our A.M.U. years. That means the spirit of Sir Syed Ahmed still pervades the cultural ambiance of the great seat of learning he founded. “Hindus and Muslims are my two eyes” said the great soul. By this, however, I do not mean to suggest, even remotely, that there had not been any untoward incidences in the long history of A.M.U. But without exception, all those unfortunate things happened there or, may be, still happening are the creations of power- play of the politicians from which no institution has ever remained immune in our blessed country- a power play in which the then a formidable Gandhi-Nehru combine unceremoniously sidelined the once staunch Nationalist like Jinnah leaving him with no option but to join hands with hard-core communalists with hatred in his heart and two-nation theory on his lips; a patriot of the stature of Subhash Bose had to wander  around the globe fighting out the freedom war from the foreign soil till death. The inheritors of this power-play now turn it into identity politics of vote-bank and quota-reservation in order to remain firmly saddled in power, generation after each passing generation and reaping rich dividends out of it. Other wily politicians also see through the game, seize upon the opportunity, catch the bright idea, and expand the minority vote-bank by injecting into the body politic generous doses of quota and reservation ( jobs and seats in the educational institutions.) for identified communities pushing merit on the back burner. They generously distribute largesse and freebies from public exchequer with open hands, squandering the tax-payer’s money to foster their vote-banks. It is then a race for votes with no holds barred. How could the AMU or for that matter any other campus remain unaffected by the avalanche of greed, corruption, identity politics of vote-bank & quota –reservation, blowing outside and not become a hot-bed of the debased politics itself?

                                                                                                                                                                                    –SANJOG MAHESHWARI

C1-A-42 B, JANAKPURI,

NEW DELHI-110058