Unlearning the lessons taught
By Alka Dhupkar
The legacy of Dr Rafiq Zakaria is indisputably illustrious. Once minister in the Maharashtra government, the former MP’s lasting popularity, it must be said, is a result more of his scholarly pursuits and philanthropy, not conventional party politics. Often remembered as ‘the architect of modern Aurangabad’, the visionary secularist had brought to this city drinking water, but more memorably, education. Founded by him in 1963, the Maulana Azad College of Arts and Science has progressively grown into a larger Trust, whose campus is spread across 27 acres of Aurangabad’s Rauza Bagh area. With schools such as the Harniman College of Journalism and the Millennium Institute of Management (MIM) under its jurisdiction, the Maulana Azad Educational Trust, was until recently considered an idyll. It takes only a visit to see that all is not well in this erstwhile Arcadia.
A little more than a decade after Zakaria’s death, his campus saw its first public protest on September 7 this year. An effigy of MIM director Salim Shaikh Chand was burnt and slogans were raised in front of Fatma Rafiq Zakaria’s office. Dr Zakaria’s wife, Padma Shri awardee Fatma Zakaria is now the chairman of the Maulana Azad Educational Trust. Speaking to Mirror, she says that such problems are common to all big institutions. “This isn’t the first time we have seen protests. During Dr Zakaria’s time, we saw them too. This is a vibrant society. It isn’t a dull institute. They laugh, cry, they oppose us and then come back. We should really be happy about this. I’d be worried if they hadn’t complained.”
The chairman’s sanguineness is contradicted by a prevalent sense of unease. Following the outcry in September, Salim Shaikh Chand was made to compulsorily go on leave. Shaikh, whose appointment as director reportedly flouted several norms and had been legally challenged, then went on to file FIRs against 25 teaching and nonteaching members of the Trust’s staff who had participated in the protest. There are many who echo a shared sentiment — the management is doing little to resolve this impasse. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a protestor confesses that despite repeated attempts, it took him four years to meet Fatma Zakaria. Dr Rafiq Zakaria, the former student says, was always accessible. Former general secretary Vasant Houzwala has seen the institution grow since its inception. He says, “Dr Zakaria used to sit in the office every day to ensure no illegality was allowed.”
In her defence, Fatma Zakaria says, “We all miss Doctor Saab (Dr Rafiq Zakaria). We can’t do what he used to, but he has taught us a lot and I don’t think we have done too bad a job.” A senior faculty member, however, begged to differ. “The Maulana Azad institute was formed by Dr Zakaria for imparting secular education and we fear that it is on the edge of losing its secular identity.” The professor’s concerns find legitimacy because of a subtle transformation — non-Muslim administrators and professors are no longer included in the decision-making progress as actively as before. Lower courts and the High Court’s Aurangabad bench are both presently hearing more than ten cases, in which the appointment of the Trust’s various staff members are being challenged as illegal. Written complaints alleging misuse of funds have also been filled with the UGC (University Grant Commission). Advocate BA Jadhav is fighting the Maulana Trust in cases which pertain to the misappropriation of UGC funds. He says, “Three cases have been disposed by the lower courts. It seems strange that the court had instructed the police to conduct an inquiry into the misuse of UGC funds the last time, but they found no irregularities. We are gathering evidence for the remaining two cases.” Dr AG Khan, director of the Dr Rafiq Zakaria Centre for Higher Learning and Advanced Research, asserts, “We have always complied by all rules of the UGC.” Dr Khan goes on to dismiss the unrest on campus by arguing that compared to other educational institutions, “we have fewer RTI-based complaints and cases against us.” The defence, detractors say, seems thin when one considers the letters written to the Governor, urging him to investigate corrupt practices. Tellingly, in 2013, the Governor-appointed Ganesh Shetkar committee had concluded that the process of appointing senior faculty was both irregular and illegal. Acting upon the report, the Trust had terminated three of its faculty members.
Kahtik Abdul Raheem, an assistant professor at Marthwada College of Education (a BEd college run by Maulana Azad Educational Trust), claims that he has been unfairly targeted because he challenged the institution’s reported irregularities. “We haven’t been paid our salaries in two months,” he laments. Another complainant, Shaikh Imran Usman, adds, “Though we are being pressured into not pursuing these matters, we will continue fighting for our rights.” Biyabani Sayed Najeebuddin is an associate professor at MIM, and he too is battling hard for his financial dues. “The MIM director’s appointment is illegal and I have challenged that. We respect Madam Chairman, but rampant illegalities cannot be tolerated just because this institution has a big name.” These loud voices of protest are hard to dismiss.
The academic fallout in an institution with approximately 11,000 students and 1,000 employees has been tangible. The Harniman College of Journalism remains closed and MIM has seen a sharp drop in admissions. This year, only 30 per cent of its seats were filled. Fatma Zakaria, though, succeeds in staying upbeat. “I never felt that I was not looking after my staff. Some problem must have arisen and I may not have been able to tackle it right then, but there has never been a vacuum in leadership. The 79-yearold admits that her two renowned sons, investment banker Arshad and journalist Fareed are too occupied with their careers in America to be part of their father’s Trust. “As long as I am there, I will work. When the time comes, I hope they will take over the responsibility.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Musimeen (AIMIM) member Imtiaz Jaleel is the MLA from Aurangabad Central. He feels that the institute is being unfairly tarnished. “Errors can be corrected. I have asked the Trust’s chairman to intervene. This institute is the pride of Marathwada. It must be protected.” While not everyone is in line with Jaleel’s assumptions, there is a consensus about his intent’s validity.
The legacy of Dr Rafiq Zakaria is indisputably illustrious. Once minister in the Maharashtra government, the former MP’s lasting popularity, it must be said, is a result more of his scholarly pursuits and philanthropy, not conventional party politics. Often remembered as ‘the architect of modern Aurangabad’, the visionary secularist had brought to this city drinking water, but more memorably, education. Founded by him in 1963, the Maulana Azad College of Arts and Science has progressively grown into a larger Trust, whose campus is spread across 27 acres of Aurangabad’s Rauza Bagh area. With schools such as the Harniman College of Journalism and the Millennium Institute of Management (MIM) under its jurisdiction, the Maulana Azad Educational Trust, was until recently considered an idyll. It takes only a visit to see that all is not well in this erstwhile Arcadia.
A little more than a decade after Zakaria’s death, his campus saw its first public protest on September 7 this year. An effigy of MIM director Salim Shaikh Chand was burnt and slogans were raised in front of Fatma Rafiq Zakaria’s office. Dr Zakaria’s wife, Padma Shri awardee Fatma Zakaria is now the chairman of the Maulana Azad Educational Trust. Speaking to Mirror, she says that such problems are common to all big institutions. “This isn’t the first time we have seen protests. During Dr Zakaria’s time, we saw them too. This is a vibrant society. It isn’t a dull institute. They laugh, cry, they oppose us and then come back. We should really be happy about this. I’d be worried if they hadn’t complained.”
The chairman’s sanguineness is contradicted by a prevalent sense of unease. Following the outcry in September, Salim Shaikh Chand was made to compulsorily go on leave. Shaikh, whose appointment as director reportedly flouted several norms and had been legally challenged, then went on to file FIRs against 25 teaching and nonteaching members of the Trust’s staff who had participated in the protest. There are many who echo a shared sentiment — the management is doing little to resolve this impasse. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a protestor confesses that despite repeated attempts, it took him four years to meet Fatma Zakaria. Dr Rafiq Zakaria, the former student says, was always accessible. Former general secretary Vasant Houzwala has seen the institution grow since its inception. He says, “Dr Zakaria used to sit in the office every day to ensure no illegality was allowed.”
In her defence, Fatma Zakaria says, “We all miss Doctor Saab (Dr Rafiq Zakaria). We can’t do what he used to, but he has taught us a lot and I don’t think we have done too bad a job.” A senior faculty member, however, begged to differ. “The Maulana Azad institute was formed by Dr Zakaria for imparting secular education and we fear that it is on the edge of losing its secular identity.” The professor’s concerns find legitimacy because of a subtle transformation — non-Muslim administrators and professors are no longer included in the decision-making progress as actively as before. Lower courts and the High Court’s Aurangabad bench are both presently hearing more than ten cases, in which the appointment of the Trust’s various staff members are being challenged as illegal. Written complaints alleging misuse of funds have also been filled with the UGC (University Grant Commission). Advocate BA Jadhav is fighting the Maulana Trust in cases which pertain to the misappropriation of UGC funds. He says, “Three cases have been disposed by the lower courts. It seems strange that the court had instructed the police to conduct an inquiry into the misuse of UGC funds the last time, but they found no irregularities. We are gathering evidence for the remaining two cases.” Dr AG Khan, director of the Dr Rafiq Zakaria Centre for Higher Learning and Advanced Research, asserts, “We have always complied by all rules of the UGC.” Dr Khan goes on to dismiss the unrest on campus by arguing that compared to other educational institutions, “we have fewer RTI-based complaints and cases against us.” The defence, detractors say, seems thin when one considers the letters written to the Governor, urging him to investigate corrupt practices. Tellingly, in 2013, the Governor-appointed Ganesh Shetkar committee had concluded that the process of appointing senior faculty was both irregular and illegal. Acting upon the report, the Trust had terminated three of its faculty members.
Kahtik Abdul Raheem, an assistant professor at Marthwada College of Education (a BEd college run by Maulana Azad Educational Trust), claims that he has been unfairly targeted because he challenged the institution’s reported irregularities. “We haven’t been paid our salaries in two months,” he laments. Another complainant, Shaikh Imran Usman, adds, “Though we are being pressured into not pursuing these matters, we will continue fighting for our rights.” Biyabani Sayed Najeebuddin is an associate professor at MIM, and he too is battling hard for his financial dues. “The MIM director’s appointment is illegal and I have challenged that. We respect Madam Chairman, but rampant illegalities cannot be tolerated just because this institution has a big name.” These loud voices of protest are hard to dismiss.
The academic fallout in an institution with approximately 11,000 students and 1,000 employees has been tangible. The Harniman College of Journalism remains closed and MIM has seen a sharp drop in admissions. This year, only 30 per cent of its seats were filled. Fatma Zakaria, though, succeeds in staying upbeat. “I never felt that I was not looking after my staff. Some problem must have arisen and I may not have been able to tackle it right then, but there has never been a vacuum in leadership. The 79-yearold admits that her two renowned sons, investment banker Arshad and journalist Fareed are too occupied with their careers in America to be part of their father’s Trust. “As long as I am there, I will work. When the time comes, I hope they will take over the responsibility.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Musimeen (AIMIM) member Imtiaz Jaleel is the MLA from Aurangabad Central. He feels that the institute is being unfairly tarnished. “Errors can be corrected. I have asked the Trust’s chairman to intervene. This institute is the pride of Marathwada. It must be protected.” While not everyone is in line with Jaleel’s assumptions, there is a consensus about his intent’s validity.
