AMU's Democratic Credentials

We, Aligs are extremely disgusted of ourselves. We are not as courageous as Fatima Bhutto, who can afford writing against the sitting president, despite the fact that the President is alleged to have murdered Fatima Bhutto's father. Mr Zardari/ the Pakistani state is at least this much democratic. We are not a Noam Chomsky who can write against the President of the USA, the country he lives in. USA is democratic enough. Even though it props up so many autocratic regimes across the world. We are not Arundhati Roy, who can write against her own Home Minister and a Chief Justice. The Indian state is democratic enough.

AMU is probably having worse democratic credentials than the ones given by the military dictators of Pakistan to their fircest enemy citizens.

I hope USA based admirers of the AMU administration and its style of functioning will speak something. Nay, I must not hope, they along with many more Aligs, extended their support even to the VC who said, "AMU is bristling with ISI agents".

We must keep loving our cowardice, greed and self-promotion; there is no greater virtue than cowardice. Obsequious allegiance and slavish sycophancy are the biggest ingredients of our being.

All the above words are being said by a few teachers of AMU. I hope not all of them would be suspended, if at all they are identified.

Regards,
Dr Mohammad Sajjad
Lecturer
Centre of Advanced Study in History
Aligarh Muslim University (India)
{The above post have been picked up from fdr_amu@yahoogroups.com}