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Sir Syed Ahman Khan – renowned as
the educationist, journalist and founder of the legendry Aligarh
Muslim University in Aligarh, had launched a historic ‘Aligarh
Movement’ to establish the magnum opus university currently having
around 30,000 enrolled students across dozens of faculties.
Presently the Aligarh Muslim University is offering education from
school level to higher classes inside its huge premises having
residential facility for all sections of the society including
Muslims and Non Muslims.
On Wednesday (October 12, 2011), the country has witnessed the
rise of a ‘Modern Aligarh Movement’ from Kishanganj, the
north-eastern district of Bihar. The anti Bihar Government
movement (agitation) organized for the establishment of AMU
Special Centre in Kishanganj was joined by 3 to 4 lakh people. In
response to Bihar government’s negligence attitude towards the
matter, the protestors blocked the Kolkata – Guwahati rail route
and National Highway No 31. Only after the nationwide media
coverage and complaints of the travelers, the Bihar Government had
shown some grace and promised to resolve the issue within one
month through its representative, and the dharna ended midnight.
One of India’s most economically and educationally deprived
district of India, Kishanganj is inhabited by peace loving simple
people. Since the independence of India, the district of
Kishanganj has hardly seen any type of development. Even people
struggle for the basic necessities like proper road communication,
electricity and health and sanitation. While India is developing
at fact pace in metros and big cities, the residents of Kishanganj
even today feel themselves in pre-independence era.
After the dark 15 year rule of Laloo Prasad Yadav, along with rest
of Bihar the common people of this area also had some hope of
development with the change of governance. Nitish Kumar, termed as
‘Vikas Purush’ (Development Man) succeeded in hitting the
headlines of global media with stories of development in Bihar,
and the NDA rule had been appreciated time and again. However,
both the Nitish led NDA government and media forgot the dark side
of Bihar’s development. Still the mass migration for education and
employment were happening at a large scale, which brought forth
the truth of self-proclaimed good governance of NDA in Bihar.
During the rule of NDA (Ist) in Bihar, on the guidelines of Union
Ministry of HRD and approval of President of India, the Vice
Chancellor of AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) had sent a proposal
letter to Chief Minister of Bihar on November 26, 2008 to open a
Special Centre in the state. In his proposal the Vice Chancellor
of AMU Prof P.K.Abdul Azis has asked the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to
provide 250-300 acres of land free of cost for the centre and also
mentioned some essentials as per University norms like 30 metre
wide road connecting the campus with nearest state highway or
national highway, and uninterrupted electricity and drinking
water. Once Bihar Government would provide the land, the rest of
the expanses like constructing the buildings inside the campus
would be borne by the University and Central Government.
Logically, the Bihar Government should have accepted the proposal
with high enthusiasm to improve the literacy rate in the state.
Since, Bihar didn’t have any Central University till date, so this
was other reason to welcome such mega project. The proposal of AMU
was to offer education from school level to college level
including professional courses. Besides providing education to the
people of Bihar and other parts of India, the proposal of massive
AMU campus was directing towards employment generation from low
level caretaking staff to higher level. However, Bihar government
didn’t send any reply to AMU VC on the proposal till September
2009. After that the AMU VC visited Kishanganj twice but the land
transfer issue couldn’t be resolved because of Bihar Government
careless attitude and internal politics.
Common people of Bihar were following all the development on the
issue for past 3 years. When nothing happened to materialize the
proposed AMU Special Centre in Kishanganj, a declaration to
protest against the Bihar Government was taken in September 12,
2011 under the banner of Kishanganj Education Movement for AMU
Centre supported by many committees including Delhi based AMU
Centre Co-ordination Committee. A memorandum addressed to Bihar CM
Nitish Kumar was submitted before District Magistrate Kishanganj
to resolve the land transfer issue for the establishment of AMU
Centre Kishanganj within 15 days. The activists for AMU Centre had
clearly mentioned in the memorandum, if the government doesn’t
resolve the issue and massive demonstration would happen in
Kishanganj from October 12, 2011 onwards.
Meanwhile, apart from making illogical and baseless statements
against the Central Government and AMU VC Prof Azis, the Bihar
Government didn’t give any attention to the memorandum clearly
mentioning the massive protest. The activists for AMU Special
Centre Kishanganj organized awareness programmes in many parts of
Seemanchal and requested people to gather in district headquarters
of Kishanganj on October 12, 2011. The Delhi based AMU Centre
Co-ordination Committee organized a National Conference on AMU
Centre at India Islamic Cultural Centre on September 30, 2011 to
provide the global attention to the matter.
Bihar Government has continued its apathetic attitude towards the
proposed AMU Special Centre that resulted in grand dharn at
Kishanganj on October 12, 2011. Around 3 - 4 lakh people from
different parts of Bihar gathered in Kishanganj and blocked the
Kolkata – Guwahati rail route and NH 31. The dharna went for full
day and it was extended for indefinite period in the evening as
the Bihar Government’s had not given any response. Around 10 pm,
the national electronic media had flushed the news ticker with the
tagline ‘Breaking News, more than 20 trains stuck on Guwahati
route, protestors demand for AMU Centre in Kishanganj’. The news
spread across the nation in a short while after 11 pm, and finally
the leaders of the protest at around 11.30 pm announced that the
Resident Commissioner of Purnia Division on behalf of Bihar
Government has promised to resolve the issue within one month. The
gathering of around 50,000 celebrated the historic moment of ‘AMU
Movement’, and agreed to end the Dharna.
The one day dharna at Kishanganj had paralised the rail and road
routes connecting north-east with rest of the country. Often
referred to as the ‘Chicken Neck’, Kishanganj encompasses an
important geographical and political place in India’s map. Still
the people residing in the district and its nearby areas are
facing several issues and deprived of basic amenities. Now it is
the duty of Nitish Kumar to resolve the issue on immediate basis
and provide the required land to AMU administration for
establishment of a Special Centre. If Nitish Kumar fails to meet
his promise, the activists are committed to intensify the protest
and bring their voice to state capital Bihar and national capital
New Delhi for their rights.
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