February 1, 1981, Forty Years Ago: AMU Strike

The Aligarh Muslim University was closed sine die and around 250 students and former students who had been gheraoing vice-chancellor Dr Sayeed Hamid for the last several days were rounded up. Chanting slogans, the students, including the main office bearers of the students’ union, got into the police vans peacefully. Later in the day, the police ordered all the 1,700 students, including 800 hostel residents, to vacate the campus. Arrangements for extra buses and train coaches had been made suggesting that the closure of the university was planned in advance. The students have been demanding the removal of the Dean of Social Sciences, Irfan Habib. In an interview to this paper, the noted historian had said that “Hostels were sheltering criminal elements and the university’s standards had deteriorated”.

BJP’s Code

Concerned over increasing attacks on the parliamentary form of democracy, the BJP has decided to frame a code of conduct for its legislators. The party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee said that, of late, attempts have been made both inside Parliament and outside it to undermine democratic practices and ethics. He said that BJP members should not be a party to such practices.

Rift In NAM

With the non-aligned foreign ministers conference only nine days away, it is clear that India will oppose any move to expel Egypt from the group. Reports suggest that the Arab countries are adamant that Egypt be expelled because of Cairo’s decision to abide by the Camp David accord. The Indian government’s view is whatever be the pros and cons of Egypt’s agreement with Israel, the issue should not be used to create a rift within NAM. There are several issues over which NAM members have different views, and New Delhi’s opinion is such diversity is the strength of the movement.