Press Release: National Conference for AMU Centre Kishanganj (Bihar)

New Delhi, September 28, 2011: A group of academicians, political leaders, journalists, activists and students have come together to push up the Bihar Government and the administration of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, for immediate inception of the AMU centre in Kishanganj, Bihar. They have come under the banner of ‘AMU Centre Co-ordination Committee’ asking the Bihar Government to immediately allocate the required land. The committee is going to organise a National Conference for AMU Centre Kishanganj (Bihar) on September 30 at India Islamic Culture Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi from 5 PM to 8 PM.

AMU VC PK Abdul Azis, Janata Dal United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan, Kishanganj MP Asrarul Haque and others are expected to address the conference.

Kishanganj was identified as one of the five centres for the AMU campus centre after the Sachchar Committee recommended setting up of more institutions focused on the educational needs of Muslims in the minority dominated areas. The proposed special centre of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Kishanganj district of Bihar is delaying for past two and half due to all wrong reasons. The establishment of AMU Centre in Kishanganj, Bihar is on hold because of inability of Nitish led Bihar Government to provide required 250 acres contiguous land to AMU administration free of cost. In fact, the Bihar Government had offered 243 acres of land in three parts on lease basis for 30 years to the Vice Chancellor of AMU in May 2010. However, following his visit on 22 May, 2010 to the proposed land the VC of AMU Prof P K Abdul Azis refused to accept the land because of 3 pieces, illegal encroachment by tribals, narrow access road (less than 30 feet) and 30 years lease term.

Since then, the Bihar Government has failed to provide the required 250 acres land to AMU VC for more than one year. On July 11, 2011, once again, the AMU VC with his team visited Kishanganj to see three new proposed sites at Dhanpura, Tarabari and Dighalbank. However, the VC ended up the trip by visiting the land of Afzal Hussain, a local resident of Kishanganj who has offered 250 acres land free of cost. The DM of Kishanganj accompanied the AMU team and found the land of Afzal Hussain suitable for the mega campus offering school and college education to all. In response, the Government of Bihar denied to accept the land of Afzal Hussain in a meeting hold in Patna on September 20, 2011, and it is rigid on the earlier offered 243 acres land near Chakla Village in Kishanganj.

Now, the proposal of AMU centre in Kishanganj, Bihar is badly trapped in politics and blame games. The present Vice Chancellor of AMU, who was a key person to conceive the idea of opening special centres across the country, is going to retire in January 2012. After his retirement, no one is sure whether the next VC of AMU will take ahead the proposals of special centre in Kishanganj or not. On the whole, the matter of AMU special centre in Kishanganj is not moving forward due to careless attitude of Bihar Government. Whatever is the reason behind this delay, the worst sufferer in this political interference are the people of Bihar especially Seemanchal region and educationally backward district of Kishanganj.

Need of the hour is that the Bihar Government should come forward and resolve the land issue on immediate basis. If the government is not ready to accept the land of Afzal Hussain, there is an alternative for the government as well. The former DM of Kishanganj Feraque Ahmad had prepared a proposal of two piece of land that was unofficially liked by AMU VC. The only problem was 50 to 60 inhabited families belonging to BPL category. However, the former DM had the plan to provide the alternate land to those families on the earlier proposed 243 acres land to make the two piece land contiguous. Feraque Ahmad was transferred on July 4, 2010, and the proposal never got any shape later on.

If the Bihar government offers the proposal made by Feraque Ahmad, the AMU VC is still ready to accept the land along the Mahananda River in Kishanganj. Bihar Government is gaining worldwide popularity for its good governance under the leadership of “Vikas Purush” Nitish Kumar. The committee has full hope over Nitish Kumar and it expect that the required land will be provided on fast track basis to AMU administration.