Aligarh: Students of Aligarh Muslim University protested here on Wednesday at the alleged negative portrayal of the university in certain sections of the media. The AMU Students’ Union and Women’s College Students’ Union staged a protest march in the university campus and said that simple administrative issues were allegedly blown into an issue of gender bias by the media.
The students also condemned the “irresponsible and careless” remarks of the Vice- Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah.
“The AMUSU and Women’s College Students’ Union feel shocked and angered by intense negative portrayal of AMU in some section of the media. The anti-women depiction of the historical campus of AMU is not only factually wrong but also an unnecessary sensationalisation of a simple administrative issue into an issue of gender bias,” said Abdullah Azzam the AMUSU president.
He said the allegation of gender bias against the university was wrong as Maulana Azad Library has more than 2,700 registered female members including PG students, research scholars and students of various professional courses.
Arguing that the women’s college has its own library meant to cater the requirements of the college girls, he highlighted the long standing demand of the Women’s College Students’ Union regarding updating the existing library and providing easy access to the books of Maulana Azad Library.
Meanwhile, the university administration has also clarified the position.
“It must be put on record that there is absolutely no issue of gender in allowing or not allowing membership to Maulana Azad Library. Girl students of the University which include research scholars, postgraduate and undergraduate students (including students in undergraduate professional courses) are members of Maulana Azad Library and they avail its facilities in a routine manner,” said Dr Rahat Abrar, Public Relations Officer.
“AMU Women’s College offers education in conventional undergraduate courses and is located around 3 kilometers away from the main campus of the University. It has its own system including the library and book bank.”
Dr. Abrar further said that Maulana Azad Library was established in 1960 and AMU Women’s College in 1936 and since then the two have been functioning smoothly. “The University has not imposed or introduced any new rule regarding membership to Maulana Azad Library as the media reports seem to mischievously suggest,” he said.