Aligarh Muslim University's new advisory: Cultural or Religious impetus?

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has stirred an atmosphere of cultural richness among the youth by bringing a change in its uniformity during festive events. The authorities have asked residents of its men hostels at the Sir Shah Sulaiman Hall to abide by the decency of the premise. Students will not be allowed to wear shorts and slippers outside their rooms and must wear black sherwani or kurta-pyjama during important occasions and university festivals.

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To ascertain that all the freshers, as well as the senior batches, adhere to the new laws, the university administration has issued an advisory listing the “basic traditions” of AMU. They also proclaimed that the freshers usually indulge in activities which are “anathema” to the residential life of the university.

"Step out of the hostel in proper dress. No going out of the hall premises in kurta and pyjama wearing slippers. The same rules apply for dining room, common room and reading room. Bermudas, shorts, and slippers are strictly forbidden. Black sherwani or kurta pyjama should be worn on all important occasions and university functions," the advisory read.

The university board do not stop at only traditional change but have listed out a number of traditions that go in the advisory. This includes calling dining hall attendants as “miyaa” or “bhai”, addressing fellow hostel mates as “partner”, payment of the bill by a senior if a senior and a junior are eating together, and treating everyone who comes to see them off when they are going back home or outside to “see-off tea”.

The advisory also reads out terms such as knocking on the door and waiting for an answer while entering a room and to share food brought from home with fellow residents.

"While any ignorance in this regard is very painful for the seniors as well as for the hall administration, it is also undesirable for the freshers as they lose out on a chance to imbibe some good habits," hostel Provost Sadaf Zaidi said in the advisory.

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The never-ending list of the stern rules and regulations will have to be observed by every student. While the authorities might consider the advisory to be just, many hostelers may relate to it as being taken back to any religious school.

Sir Shah Sulaiman Hall is one of the oldest halls of residence of the Aligarh Muslim University. It accommodates around 650 undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as research scholars of the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology.