Post ‘National Conference on AMU Centre Kishanganj Bihar” at India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi held on September 30, 2011, the AMU Centre Co-ordination Committee is moving ahead for the cause of Special Centre. The committee has declared its support for the grand agitation scheduled on October 12, 2011 in Kishanganj Bihar. Organised under the banner of ‘Educational Movement for AMU’ under the leadership of Kishanganj MP Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi, the democratic agitation is getting support from the local political leaders, activists and common people.
Just to keep the momentum the committee is now planning to organize a dharna (democratic protest) in front of Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi on October 12, 2011 from 2 PM to 3 PM. The dharna is intended to send a warning message to Bihar Govt for showing apathy towards the educational project. Bihar doesn’t have any central university till date since Independence of India. The literacy rate is very poor in Bihar especially in Kishanganj.
Nitish led Bihar Government is unnecessarily delaying the matter and giving lame excuses. AMU Coordination Committee condemns Bihar Govt and declares the dharna (protest) in New Delhi with the slogan “Bihar Sarkar, AMU Do” (Bihar Government, Give AMU). The protest is just a wakeup call before the grand democratic agitation scheduled on October 12, 2011.
Based on the recommendations of Sachchar Committee and Fatami Committee, the Union Ministry of HRD has asked the AMU VC Prof P K Abdul Azis during the tenure of UPA I in 2007-08. The AMU VC has identified 5 Muslim dominated sites in five states, namely Mallapuram (Kerala), Murshidabad (West Bengal), Katihar later changed to Kishanganj (Bihar), Pune (Maharashtra) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). Prof Azis has written letters to all the CMs of five states including Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who took around seven months to send a reply.
The governments of Kerala and West Bengal also offered the required land, and currently two professional courses MBA and BA (LLB) are offered at Mallapuram and Murshidabad in temporary campus. However, the Bihar Govt had offered 243 acres land in 3 pieces at Chakla Village near Kishanganj district headquarters around 2 years back. The AMU VC visited the land on May 22, 2010 and denied to accept the land. The proposed land was not suitable to open a mega campus. First, the land was in 3 parts, the distance between the main part (around 153 acres) and other two small parts (34 acres and 46 acres) is around one kilometer. Next, the land is illegally encroached by the tribals once it was declared for the AMU Special Centre. Another reason, Bihar govt is willing to give the land in 30 years lease to AMU.
Since the visit of AMU VC in May 22, 2010, the Bihar Govt. is delaying the issue. The Bihar Govt. invited the AMU VC and his team once again to see the three new sites in Kishanganj district. During the visit of AMU VC, the DM of Kishanganj also asked him to see 250 acres private land (actually a tea garden) offered by a local Afzal Hussain. However, after the visit of AMU VC and his team on July 11, 2011, the Bihar Govt. is again insisting the AMU administration to accept the 3 pieces land near Chakla Village, which is at all not suitable for the huge campus offering school to higher level education.
AMU Centre Coordination Committee is a Delhi based group run by the people of Bihar. The group was established on June 25, 2010 and putting all the efforts to resolve the issue. The committee is continuously in touch with AMU VC, DM Kishanganj and top officials of Bihar Govt to find out a solution of the deadlock. AMU Centre Coordination Committee had meetings with JD (U) President Sharad Yadav, RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, LJP Chief Ram Vilas Paswan, and many other key political figures from Bihar and other states of the country on this issue.
There is going to be a democratic agitation in Kishanganj against Bihar Govt’s negligent attitude on October 12, 2011. However, the AMU Centre Co-ordination Committee ready to work as a mediator between AMU administration and Bihar Govt. If Bihar govt. really wishes to resolve the issue, the committee is always open for discussion.
