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Rediff.com  » News » Aligarh: Stranded students blame university

Aligarh: Stranded students blame university

By Onkar Singh in Aligarh
September 19, 2007 03:08 IST
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Students of the Aligarh Muslim University, who were asked to vacate their hostels in 48 hours by the management after the vice-chancellor's lodge was vandalised, were upset no university official was present at the railway station to help them with booking in the trains to return home.

As the students waited on the platforms and waiting rooms, Azma Fatima, a senior cabinet member of AMU students' union and third year B Tech student, described the violence as emotional outburst by students who were moved by the murder of Mazhar Naeem who was attacked by a sharp weapon on Sunday night when he was returning to hostel after offering Namaz.

"This is the third murder in the campus since April. The Central Bureau of Investigation has been asked to look into the murders and prepare a report. So far nothing has come out of it," she said.

Rizwan Ahmed, who is a final year student of diploma in engineering, held the officials of AMU accountable for lax administration.

"About 30 percent students have left for their homes. As you can see the proctor's office on the railway station is closed and there is nobody to help us. We were told that there would be two special bogies in each train to carry the students back home. But not a single train carried extra seats," he claimed.

His statement was backed by hordes of students present on the platform.

They felt that the time given to vacate the hostel was too short and many students would not be able to do the same within the time limit.

Parents of several students -- particularly girls -- had to rush to Aligarh to take their wards back home. "Two of my girls are studying here. On hearing about the violence, I rushed here to take them back home," said a parent.

Though the students are ready to go back home they are not sure as to when the university would open again.

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Onkar Singh in Aligarh