AMUSU on the ISSUE of RAJA MAHENDRA PRATAP’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Aligarh:For more than a couple of weeks now, a political outfit in Aligarh has been trying to create a controversy around the celebration of Raja Mahendra Pratap’s birthday in AMU.
We would like to clarify that the late Raja Mahendra Pratap was a student of MAO College and an illustrious alumni who is fondly remembered by Aligs all over the world not only for his contribution to the Aligarh Movement but also for his social service and lifelong commitment to fighting the communal forces in this country. He shall be remembered for his secular credentials and his achievements in defeating the communal leaders of his time. AMU has honored his memory by placing his picture beside the picture of Sir Syed along with a plaque detailing his credentials on the walls of our Central Library.
However, AMU has a long list of donors and illustrious alumni like Raja Mahendra Pratap who have generously contributed to the cause of setting up a Muslim University at Aligarh. It is not possible to commemorate all of their birthdays as their number goes in thousands. Therefore, the Union considers it appropriate that only the birthday of our great founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is celebrated officially.
The fact of the matter is that even those who are creating a controversy today are not really interested in celebrating the life of Raja Mahendra Pratap. We must remember that this is his 126th birthday and it is only today that he is suddenly being remembered by the communal fascist forces. Their aim is to polarize the society and create communal tensions in order to fulfill their vicious political interests. These are the same people who have always spread the poison of hatred and anarchy in our society, and today they are bringing their evil designs to destabilize our beloved AMU and spread chaos in this great institution which has been an example of social harmony from the time of its inception. Another political party of this state, which has no actual love for AMU, has also mischievously entered the fray and is only fuelling the communal tensions.
Raja Mahendra Pratap was a man who wanted to spread education, and his birthday is being used to destabilize his own educational institution. We find it very unfortunate that the name of a man who established ‘Prem Vidyalaya’ is being exploited today to spread the message of hate.
The AMU Students’ Union affirms that the evil designs of communal fascists will not be successful in AMU. The entire Alig fraternity stands united in our effort to stop the politics of hate and division from entering our institution.