Amid infrastructure blues, Aliah Madrasa moves towards university status

With all changes creeping in, what has remained constant, however, is the 10-room space. While some students believe that the hasty announcement to convert the college into a university without giving a thought to infrastructure is a political compulsion, the state government says that the project is on tracks.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the university at a function organised at Rabindra Sadan last week. Even the departments that are to be set up were announced. A week after the grand declaration, things are as usual at Aliah University, erstwhile Madrasa Aliah.

“We have six classrooms. There are four other rooms that house computers, principal and the staff. This is all we have. But now, it’s a university,” says a representative of the madrasa students’ union.

Concerns are being expressed at lack of physical space and even at dropping the word ‘madrasa’ from the university’s name. Various sections including students, officials and social activists are also opposing the government’s mode of modernisation. In fact, what’s plaguing the system is absence of an adequate number of dedicated teachers.

“We have four permanent teachers and many part-timers. There are vacancies at both teaching and non-teaching staff,” said S Ali, representative of the students’ union.

Tanvir Ahmed, the acting principal and the officer-in-charge of the college, however, sees the change as positive. “People, in general, are happy about the transition. A committee has been formed for helping in appointment of the Vice-Chancellor. The work is on,” Ahmed said.