CHAPTER - 22
REGARDING ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ADJOURNMENT MOTION
Lok Sabha , 15th May 1979
EDITORIAL NOTE
For Y B. Chavan, the Aligarh Muslim University was not only an educational institution to cater to the requirement of the minority but it was representative of the secular character of the country which was being vitiated by those advocating ‘Hindu Rashtra.’
Shri Yashwantrao Chavan (Satara) : Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I, am rising only for a brief intervention, to speak on the censure motion of Shri Banatwalla, on account of a very sad and beastly attack on the Aligarh Muslim University students while they were travelling in a train at Dadri station.
There are two aspects of it. One is specific aspect of the incident itself; and the other is the general consequences and general aspect of the problem. I will try to deal with both of them very briefly.
From what many Members have said including what Shri Banatwalla said in his initial speech it looks, Prima facie, that the attack was organized. Organized, because the students were coming here for a known purpose, for demonstrating against the Bill that was being passed in Lok Sabha, and for making their demand, for Government accepting Aligarh as a minority institution. This was a known thing. They were coming for the demonstration. Somebody who did not like it, organized it. It was very obvious.
Prima facie, it looks very obvious.
The attackers had already occupied two bogies at the Aligarh station itself; and they chose a place where possibly they expected some supporters which were also, a rather isolated place where they can leisurely attack these people. That seems to be the general pattern of events. If it is so, I would say that this is an extension of what happened in Aligarh. This is not something which was separate from Aligarh. It means the Aligarh communal situation is still continuing further.
The Prime Minister has appointed a Committee of leaders under the chairmanship of our Deputy Prime Minister. Babu Jagjivan Ramji, on communal problems; and we are meeting in the Committee and discussing very well the general aspects of the problem. Viz., the intelligence administration, political aspects, communal politics etc. We are all considering them. Naturally, if some commissions are appointed, we have to wait for their report. By the time the Commission’s recommendations come, the situation will be such that those recommendations become practically inapplicable. They are not good for any application. So, this is a very serious matter, which must not be dismissed merely as a thing to be discussed once under adjournment motion and then to forget all about it.