In its centenary year, Aligarh Muslim University is planning to bury a time capsule, containing its history and achievements for posterity. Manvendra Kumar Pundhir, Professor of History, AMU, a member of the committee formed by Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor for the ambitious task, said he was inspired by a similar exercise undertaken by the IIT, Kanpur, almost a decade ago. “We have a much longer and richer past which needs to be preserved and celebrated. The four-member committee also has the chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who would help us in designing the capsule,” said Prof. Pundhir.
He said experts from IIT, Kanpur, were also helping them. “I think the capsule would be made of stainless steel with a layer of PVC. The inside would be filled with inert gases to protect the material from decay for at least 500 years. The content would be written on acid-resistant papers and digital copies of the material would also be buried,” he explained.
Interestingly, when the VC was mulling over the idea, Rahat Abrar, Director Urdu Academy and somebody who has written on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, told Prof. Mansoor that Sir Syed also did something similar when the foundation of the College was laid on January 8, 1877.
It created a buzz and historical evidence was asked for. Shafey Kidwai, Chairman Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, provided the proof. “The Gazette of January 12, 1877, gives a graphic account of the ceremony. It is the primary source which said Kunwar Lutuf Khan, a member of MAO Funds Committee, presented a bottle carrying the scroll enlisting the details of how Madarastul Uloom (the precursor of MAO College) came into being along with gold, silver, and copper coins to Viceroy (Lord Lytton), who put it inside a cavity of the foundation stone specially created for it.”
He added the word ‘time capsule’ was not used and the time of its extraction was not mentioned.