After staunch objection from students, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has withdrawn its circular that sought information about students from Jammu and Kashmir from the respective faculties of the university.
The circular requesting the details was issued by the controller of examination (admission section) at AMU late in December on grounds that the information was sought by the Aligarh police. The matter generated controversy after the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association called the move an "act of breach of privacy".
Why did Aligarg police seek info on Kashmiri students?
After the withdrawal of the circular on Wednesday evening, January 4, AMU officials avoided further discussion on the subject despite claiming earlier in the day that this was a routine exercise, wherein, the Aligarh police sought information about the total number of students, as well as those from Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states, and this is provided, according to a report by IANS.
A letter dated December 27, 2022 was issued from the office of the controller of examination (Admission Section) to the deans of faculties, dean of student welfare, chairperson of the department of studies in different faculties and principals seeking information about the total number of students in their faculties/centres (gender-wise) and the total number of Jammu and Kashmir students admitted with complete details for the 2022-2023 session in a set format.
Violence on campus
This came a few days after students from Jammu and Kashmir staged a protest at campus alleging targetted harassment. Students told EdexLive that their protest was culled by the administration deploying security forces. They said that the students from Jammu and Kashmir were being assaulted on campus for their identity. The protest came after a couple of students from Kashmir were embroiled in a fight with some other students on campus after the former asked the latter not to play badminton late in the night. Students claimed that this instance of violence had been the fourth one in December.
While AMU had said after the incident that a 'fact-finding' committee would be formed to look into the claims of targetted harassment, it then released the circular collecting information on the almost 1400 Kashmiri students on campus. "Please attend this on priority as the information is to be provided to the Superintendent of Police, Aligarh," stated the letter marked "time-bound/important", issued by Faisal Waris, the Assistant Controller (Admissions).
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association objected to the format of the circular and its content seeking information in detail about 1,400 Kashmiri students at Aligarh Muslim University. "Most of the Kashmiri scholars opposed this move and termed it an act of breaching privacy and goes against the fundamental rights ensured by the Constitution," Nasir Kheuhami, National Convenor of the association had said.
