Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had cancelled its literary festival 2022 midway, owing to ‘unavoidable circumstances.’ The literary fest had earlier resumed on Saturday after several rounds of talk between the organisers and varsity. However, the Sunday events had to be cancelled after the Kennedy Auditorium was made ‘inaccessible’ by varsity administrations.
Held after nearly two years, the varsity’s decision to cancel the event also comes in the backdrop of a firing incident at Kennedy Hall on Saturday evening. However, the event organisers alleged that the lit fest was cancelled under the pressure of the government. AMU, however, refuted the claims and said that event was cancelled as a result of the “collapse of arrangements” and “law and order situations.”
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Meanwhile, some academicians have claimed that the doors of the venue were locked without giving any reason. They have claimed its threat to freedom of speech and violation of the country’s ‘foundational principles’. Historian and political scientist Ali Khan Mahmudabad tweeted, “Admin has locked doors of venue without giving reasons. Muzzling the freedom of speech is a grave violation of our country’s foundational principles. Sad that hard work of the students is being thwarted as some ppl fear dissent!” (sic)
AMU’s spokesperson Shafey Kidwai further indicated that the event was cancelled to prevent the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak on the campus, reported a leading news daily.
A member of the organising committee alleged that the university administration had been attempting to stall the events of the fest. He added that the admin was under pressure to stop the event where former Reserve Bank of India governor Prof Raghuram Rajan was a keynote speaker.
He further claimed that the admin had given the permission for the Sunday event on Saturday evening but later in the night released a notice stating that the event had been called due to ‘unavoidable circumstances.
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The three-day literary festival, which included lectures, panel discussions, and book discussions, was organised by AMU’s debating and literary club, a part of the Cultural Education Center (CEC).This year the AMU Literary Festival began on May 20 in hybrid mode and was set to end on May 23.
On the first day of AMU’s lit fest, four sessions were held, and on the second, six sessions were held, including one in virtual mode by former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan. The final day of the AMU literary festival was planned to comprise six sessions, including a panel discussion with presenters such as renowned journalist Saba Naqvi and author Ghazala Wahab.
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