Flush out criminal elements from the campus
The violence at Aligarh Muslim University, which claimed two lives and caused enormous damage to university property, this past weekend, is deeply worrying. Heated exchanges, fisticuffs and minor scuffles between students, though undesirable, are not uncommon on some campuses. However, it is the scale of violence that hit the university on Saturday that must raise alarm bells, especially given AMU's sordid record on this issue. Preliminary reports suggest that a group attacked one student in his hostel, set his room on fire, and then threatened his brother, also an AMU student. This led to the first round of clashes which was resolved following the intervention of campus security. But the situation flared up again when the student went to register his complaint. There was a second round of clashes — The proctor's office was torched, the office of the dean of student welfare vandalised, a four-wheeler and over half-a-dozen motorcycles set on fire, and several rounds of ammunition fired. The firing ended only after the police came to the campus. Several university alumni were reportedly involved. One of the deceased was also a former student, expelled last year for indiscipline. The manner in which this situation has blown up indicates a pervasive atmosphere of violence, which, of course, stems from zero respect for the law of the land. little else explains why what was supposedly a personal dispute would result in such loss of life and property. One must also ask if the university authorities took adequate steps to bring the matter under control, especially after the first round of violence. It seems like campus security personnel were woefully unprepared to fight back especially when caught between two mobs on Saturday evening. They locked themselves in a room to avoid getting killed.
Now, it is hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to book and university authorities will ensure that the campus is secure. However, these measures alone will not be enough. AMU has a history of brutal crimes on its campus — late last year, a student was shot dead by another former AMU student with criminal antecedents. The latter had been dismissed in 2013, the same year that AMU had to be shut down and all students sent home after controversy erupted when a new vice chancellor wanted to clean the house. The roots of this problem go back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when the university enrolled scores of students in violation of admission guidelines there was no ceiling on the number of students admitted to one class, no admission deadlines, the vice chancellor's personal admission quota was routinely abused, and students allowed to live on the campus for years together without any accountability. Soon enough, crime on campus proliferated as hotels became safe havens for individuals with long police records. No doubt, it will be difficult to roll back years of mismanagement, not to mention political appeasement, but it has to be done.