The lengths to which such parochial archaeology, most assiduously patronised by the BJP, could go was brought into sharp focus at the World Archaeological Congress-III, December 1994, funded by the Government of India to the extent of Rs. 45 lakhs. The BJP elements not only seized control of this International Congress, but on 9 December 1994, forced an abandonment of the General Session, when the following simple resolution was moved by Professor R.S. Sharma on behalf of a large number of prominent Indian archaeologists and historians:
"Born in the fight against Apartheid, the World Archaeological Congress-III reiterates its uncompromising opposition to the infusion of racial, religious or national-chauvinistic claims into archaeology, and condemns without reservation all fraudulent manipulation of evidence and destruction of or damage to historical structures".
The Indian Secretary for the Congress, Dr Makkhan Lal (of AMU) cut the microphone wires to prevent the resolution from being presented. A full report appeared in the Times Higher Education Supplement (13 January 1995). (It is another matter that the international secretariat of the Congress endorsed the resolution and condemned the hooliganism).
Faced with such intransigence from those enjoying both official and BJP patronage, there was no choice but for the supporters of the resolution to come together and form ASHA as acommon forum to defend the scientific traditions of archaeology and initiate a dialogue between archaeology and sober history.
ASHA held a very successful first conference at Kurukshetra on 8-10 April 1995, overcoming all opposition from pro-BJP elements. About a hundred delegates attended, with Professor R.S. Sharma presiding. Professor K.M. Shrimali of Delhi University was elected Secretary.
The committee of the Centre of Advanced Study in History, AMU (of which I was the Coordinator) at its meeting on 1.3.1996 unanimously decided to invite ASHA to hold its second annual conference in June 1996. After negotiations with Dr H.A.S. Jafri, Director, Academic Staff College, AMU, who is also the Registrar and Controller, AMU, for accomodation in the Academic Staff College, the dates of 15-17 June were settled with the Secretary and Treasurer, ASHA. Thereafter, a formal proposal was sent to the Controller, dated 25/29 March 1996, according to the prescribed procedure in the University. The sum of Rs 20,000 was to be paid out of the Centre of Advanced Study's own grants, so that even if the University did not give any additional grants, the Centre could host the entire conference with its own funds.
The approval of the University for the conference was delayed; but this, unfortunately, is quite usual with the way papaers are processed here. The proposal to hold a number of other seminars and workshops had been sent on 8 February 1996, but the approval was only conveyed to the undersigned by an office memo dated 9/10 May 1996 after 3 months! A reminder was sent to the Controller for the ASHA Conference, and an approval was expected in the normal course, so much so that as Director, Staff College, Dr H.A.S. Jafri, the Controller himself, sent me a letter on 4 May, confirming accomodation for the ASHA Conference.
But by the end of April the pre-election polls had begun to predict a massive BJP presence in Parliament, and as leads in Lok Sabha elections began to be announced on 8 and 9 May, the BJP set its claim to form the Government at the Centre. The AMU is a central university, and the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Mahmudur ahman is an officer of the IAS (J and K cadre). Under the new situation ASHA immediately became a liability for those who would wish to curry favour with the new government.
On the morning of Saturday, 11 May, I learnt informally that the Vice-Chancellor had disapproved of the invitation to ASHA. I immediately tried to plead with him, but an appointment was refused on account, I was told, of his being very busy with certain other matters. The Registrar's letter, dated 11/13 May conveying the cancellation of the invitation, was received on Monday 13 May.
This was apparently not enough. On 13 May the Vice-Chancellor removed me from the position of Coordinator, Centre of Advanced Study in History, though I held it in strict accordance with the terms and conditions for the programme set by the UGC and approved by the Academic and Executive Councils of the University. The Vice-Chancellor's sudden order was issued without any reason or explanation being provided. This change prevented me from even raising the issue of the ASHA Conference with the University administration thereafter.
Just as the Vice-Chancellor's order removing me from the position of Coordinator was clothed as an order covering CAS's in general (when there is only one CAS at AMU, viz. History), so also the order cancelling the invitation to ASHA was sought to be justified by a general order issued on Sunday 12 May that "No Conferences/Seminars may be organised during the period between March and July every year in view of the students being busy in their examinations and in view of the examinations and Admissions Tests being held during this perios". The fantastic nature of this order (making a mockery of the UGC's encouragement of summer workshops for teachers) need not trouble any one. It was only meant as an excuse post facto to justify the cancellation of the ASHA Conference. Indeed, since 12 May, seminars/conferences are being regularly organised (e.g. of Principals of Muslim Colleges on 1-2 June, of Persian on 4-5 June), and no proposal for conference/seminar from any other department has so far been refused for the above reason.
The Vice-Chancellor immediately thereafter left for Delhi, where, it is believed, he met BJP leaders, including Mr Jag Mohan, the new BJP M.P. and former Governor of J. & K.; and the information abouthow ASHA had been scuttled and the undersigned (a constant target of BJP attacks) removed, must doubtless have reinforced his credentials with the new rulers who took office on 15 May.
What was forgotten by the authors of the attempt to thwart the ASHA Conference, was the response of members of the University and of the enlightened citizenry of Aligarh, and the firm position adopted by the ASHA. Professor Shireen Moosvi was appointed the Local Secretary, and a Reception Committee formed. We have received much cooperation in response to our appeal, and we look forward to being able to hold the ASHA Conference at Aligarh, 15-17 June 1996, in a fitting manner. We are happy that Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, the redoubtable fighter against communalism, and Minister in the new United Front Government, has kindly agreed to inaugurate the Conference on 15 June.
The events detailed above show what in store for secular forces if the BJP had prolonged its reign at the centre for more than thirteen days. That Professors R.S. Sharma, Suraj Bhan, D.N. Jha and M. Athar Ali, authors of the Historians Report to the Nation on Ayodhya, and office-bearers/delegates to ASHA, could become persona non-grata at an institution like the Aligarh Muslim University in anticipation of the BJP regime, should serve as a warning to all of us.
But equally the resistance, the care of ordinary citizens for civil liberty, manifested in the growing local support for ASHA, should hearten all of us: "We shall overcome!"
6 June 1996