Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor on Tuesday, in a letter to the students, said he regretted inconvenienced caused to them as a consequence of police action on the campus on December 15.
Appeal to students
He also appealed to students for their cooperation in the smooth running of the campus and said he would engage in a dialogue with them.
“I respect the spirit of AMU students for carrying out protests peacefully to bring the nation’s attention to laws which they feel are objectionable,” wrote Mr. Mansoor, stressing that students had the right to share their views on any subject in a democratic manner.
He added that his administration had no intention of subverting the rights of the students.
To injured students
“A robust democracy relies on the active participation of its citizens, especially the young who are the future of the country” the letter reads.
Referring to the December 15 incident, including “injuries caused by police action and the mental trauma”, Mr. Masnoor told the injured students and their families that he regretted what had happened. He said he also regretted the inconvenience caused to students as a consequence of a decision to vacate the hostels.
“Certain outcomes of our decisions at times are affected by many unforeseen circumstances and criticism at times is fair,” Mr. Mansoor wrote. He, however, stated that the decision to allow the police on campus was taken “in good faith and with a clear conscience” in order to respond to a situation that was going out of hand.
The university would do everything possible “within its powers and legal boundaries” to ensure justice is delivered to the innocent, he added.
He also appealed to students to help “identify troublemakers” who try to create rifts between the students and the administration.
He said he expected the students to ensure that their genuine concerns were not hijacked by vested interest.
“Creating an atmosphere of anarchy will hurt our credibility as peaceful citizens and validate the lies being spread about our beloved university,” Mr. Mansor wrote.
