Acche din…of Urdu University

Dukh Bhare Din Beete Re Bhaiyya…

MANUU Ke Acche Din Ab Aagaye Hain..

(Days of remorse have passed

Good days of MANUU have come)

As Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) gears up to much anticipated change – an evolution of sorts, the induction of a new Vice Chancellor rings a farewell bell to its freshly pressed controversial history while exuberant students and staff reel oodles of hope. Renowned journalist and intellectual Mr. Shahid Siddiqui, who also edits the popular Urdu tabloid Nai Duniya discourses about the man of the hour, while we attempt to decipher the challenges and prospects on his road ahead.

Shahid Siddiqui’s opinion is of paramount prominence since Dr. Aslam Parvez – the new Vice Chancellor of MANUU –  and Siddiqui both went to same college. Both have served in the education arena, but the former very briefly.

That day when Dr. Aslam Parvez was announced as the new Vice Chancellor of Moulana Azad National Urdu Univeristy (MANUU), Shahid Siddiqui extended us greetings over phone. He said the new Vice Chancellor of MANUU is not only an Urdu protagonist but has also stringently endeavoured for the promotion and development of Urdu, even in personal capacity.

Another renowned writer Dr. Abid Moiz was of the same opinion. Dr. Moiz even went on to say that Dr. Aslam Parvez is a man of esteemed character who has not only earned his bread from Urdu but served Urdu even if at his own loss.

While appreciation finds its way to Dr. Aslam Parvez, criticism too fishtails its share. There was some friction on social media, some were dubious of his appointment – which, at least for the students and the faculty serves as a breather against the ill-bred air that clouded MANUU and suffocated its lifeblood – the students and staff – in its recent history.

The university suffered the wrath of politics, injustice and isolated groups with vested interests whose personal inclinations and irrelevant preoccupations projected University in the media limelight for untoward reasons. This, apparently, was caused by laxity in administration and operational indiscipline under the former Vice Chancellor’s rule.

Apparently, the university staff and students have requested the new VC – Dr. Aslam Parvez – to plant a sapling at the main entrance of MANUU and name the space from Distance Education block to Administrative building as ‘Tatheer Square’ or ‘Purification/Filtration Square’.

There have been three Vice Chancellors in the history of MANUU so far – Professor Shameem J. Rajpuri, Professor Pathan and Prof. Mohammed Miyan.

As a geologist, Professor Pathan knows the art of sculpting beauty from even something as lifeless and dead as a stone. Mohammed Miyan’s tenure was controversial, and catalysed the downfall of Urdu, more so with the appointment of non-urdu personalities on key Urdu posts in the University.

Dr. Aslam Parvez, on the contrary, is an expert in biology. Like any dedicated biologist would know, he understands what it takes to nourish and flourish a seedling and a plant – a student and the university in this case. Correlating this with university’s stance, could help it out from its disheveled social stature.

Dr. Mohammed Aslam Parvez is the former Principal of Zakir Hussain Delhi College (Delhi University) and the incumbent Vice Chancellor of MANUU. He commenced his career in teaching in 1977 from Aligarh University, and subsequently obtained a Doctorate degree in Botany in 1979. He has also been bringing out  science journals, and has taken particular interest in teaching science in the light of Qur’an. He fervently believes that science can help one understand the Quranic verses even better. To promote this pressing thought, he started a journal titled “Science” in 1994 for the Urdu community. He also has more than 400 essays and lectures on Science to his credit.

Compendium of his pieces on “Science” dubbed “Science Ki Baatein” and “Science Paaray aur Science Naama” were released. Recently, the third edition of his book on Quran, Science and Muslims titled “Quran, Musalmaan aur Science” was also released in Hindi and Bangla languages besides Urdu.

His papers on science are regularly published in periodicals and journals including those of Harvard, Yale and Toronto Universities – who have also invited him for guest lectures. One of his articles “Sciency Jiddatein aur Al Meezan”, “Islam and Ecology” was also published in a Harvard-published book. The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Nature published by London’s Continuum includes three of his articles on Islam and nature.

Recently, Dr. Aslam Parvez founded a “Quran Centre” in Zakir Nagar that offers free Quran learning and interpretation classes to school going students. He has dedicated the centre to a trust Wakf.

Being widely travelled to places like Spain, America, Indonesia, Britain, Belgium, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arab, Singapore, France, Canada, Kuwait, UAE, Morocco, Malaysia, Nepal and Holland, he has enormous international exposure.

His profile is a testament of his passion for Urdu. Dr. Parvez’s appointment as the VC of MANUU occurs at a time when the university’s reputation is at stake, in the midst of parallel hope for the betterment of the university between students and teachers.

Challenges Ahead:

It is a pity that the University’s B.A, B.SC, M.A, History courses are not UGC-recognised? Its polytechnic courses are not-affiliated by the Council of Technical education. Not only this, the university has even dropped the distance education course since last year, and it has been merged with integrated courses. To favour pensioners, young blood has been denied opportunities. The staff and students were divided into groups – Aligarhi, Bihari, Jamia, U.P, Hyderabadi and so on, but this realization of late has taken form of a protest against the university – voices soared – including against the suspension of Dr. Mohammed Shujath Ali Rashid and Professor Abdul Qayyum.

Actions:

Dr. Aslam Parvez, immediately on taking charge, has constituted a Joint Action Committee which is expected to revoke their suspension, inquire into the discrepancies complained, and restore university balance among other things. His actions have been favorably received so far.

Road Ahead:

He has five more years to bring about the change, and in the light of his career profile and spiritual integrity, nothing seems impossible. His term could prove to be one of the University’s best as a Vice Chancellor that will cleanse the University off its controversial affairs. The dynamism of the MANUU Chancellor Mr. Zafar Sareshwala coupled with the academic outlook of Dr. Aslam Parvez could once again hog the central Urdu university into limelight, and for reasons all-worthy of appreciation. It remains to be seen how the snowballing anticipations turn into celebrations at MANUU.