Amid a row at Banaras Hindu University over the appointment of a Muslim professor at its Sanskrit department, teachers at Aligarh Muslim University recalled their institute’s contribution to the subject.
An AMU scholar was the first Muslim to earn a PhD in Sanskrit. Two of the nine faculty members at the Sanskrit department now are Muslims, they reminded.
At BHU, a group of students has been protesting against the appointment of Feroze Khan, saying a Muslim cannot teach Sanskrit. The BHU has backed the professor.
AMU spokesperson Rahat Abrar told PTI that when Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College turned into a university in 1920, its Sanskrit department was among the most prestigious at AMU.
The second vice-chancellor of AMU, Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan, in his inaugural address at the varsity in 1924 had highlighted the importance of Sanskrit.
“Sanskrit literature is a record of Hindu civilisation and culture and it is our aim to produce Muslim scholars who would enrich our culture by a contribution from this source,” he is quoted as saying.
“It is proposed to award special scholarships to Muslim students for the study of this subject,” he had said.