Akbar Chawdhary

Akbar Chawdhary is an Indian political activist, who served as President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) in 2013-14 and later taught at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). After working with Prashant Kishor in West Bengal elections, he started his own venture, Matrix Intelligence, a political consultancy credited with Congress’ win in Himachal Pradesh 2022
==Early Life and Education==
Akbar Chawdhary was born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and being the child of an Air Force Officer, he has lived across the country. In Class 6th, he cleared the Common Entrance Test and interview for Rashtriya Military School Chail, Shimla, and spent his childhood in Himachal Pradesh. For Higher educational studies he joined Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), pursuing his Bachelor’s in History (Hons.) degree. After graduating, he went on to pursue a Master’s in International Relations from JNU. He pursued his PhD thesis on Amartya Sen and holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from JNU. Whilst at JNU, Chawdhary was a member of AISA, CPI (M-L)’s student wing, he fought and won the JNUSU President Elections with a landslide margin of 1317 votes.
==Career==
Chawdhary joined Aligarh Muslim University as an Assistant Professor in 2017 and taught there for two academic sessions. He also taught Indian Polity to student’s preparing for UPSC exams at RCA (Residential Coaching Academy) at AMU. Following this, he joined Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in 2019 and worked with Prashant Kishor for West Bengal Elections in 2021. In 2022, Akbar Chawdhary initiated his own political consultancy under the banner of Matrix Intelligence. The company started it’s first campaign in Himachal Pradesh. With popular campaigns like ‘Har Ghar Lakshmi’ and ‘Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot’, Congress returned back to power in the state. The company also engaged with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. Currently they are working for Chhattisgarh Elections.
==Activism==
===Hunger-strike===
In 2013, before becoming the Union President, he led a 12 day hunger strike demanding the increment in merit cum means scholarship for poor students. In lieu of these protests, the merit-cum-means scholarship amount was increased by the University.
===24/7 Library===
After assuming Presidency, the Chawdhary led Student's Union's first action was to remove timing restrictions in the University Library and make it 24x7.
===Protests against UPSC===
Chawdhary led JNUSU protests against changes in UPSC syllabus and the elimination of foreign languages such as Arabic, Persian, German, Russian etc. from the entrance exams and the discriminatory nature of these changes.
===Against Lyngdoh Committee Recommendations===
Akbar led JNUSU protests against the Lyngdoh Committee Recommendations, in front of the Supreme Court of India. He critiqued them as ‘anti-student politics’, and a stood against the cancellation of student body election in JNU on the basis of ‘non-compliance to LCR’.
===FYUP in DU===
Chawdhary actively participated in the protests against the Four Year Undergraduate Programme in DU, which finally forced the government to take it back the controversial reforms.
===Protests Against Delinking of BA-MA Foreign language Programme===
Chawdhary led student union protests against the JNU's decision to delink the BA-MA Integrated programme in foreign languages. This decision was taken without the knowledge of the students and would change a 40 year old system. JNUSU conducted a referendum for the students' of JNU's School of Languages, Literature and Culture Studies, where 82% voted against the de-linking.
===JNU Sedition Row===
Chawdhary stood in solidarity with the then President Kanhaiya Kumar and the vice-president Shehla Rashid in the JNU Sedition Row. When Kanhaiya went to jail, he was an active part of managing all the protest meetings at the campus and outside.
===Sexual Harassment Policy at JNU===
Chawdhary was instrumental in leading students' union strikes and boycotts at JNU, demanding that people under investigation of Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) not be appointed or promoted to any important posts. The administration had agreed to the students demands.
===Commercialisation of Campus Shops===
In 2014, Chawdhary took up the cause of commercialisation of eateries and old timer shops in the University campus. Ganga Dhaba (est. 1985) was not just an eatery for students, but also a ‘debate centre’, as dubbed by regulars. The protests maintained that the dhabba facilitated a safe space for students to gather, discuss and debate. It's demolition would lead to loss of the only income to the owners family as well.
===Najeeb Ahmed’s Disappearance===
In 2016, Najeeb Ahmed, a first year MSc. Biotech student from JNU went missing after an altercation with ABVP students. Chawdhary accompanied Najeeb’s mother in all the High court proceedings and political rallies and was involved in the 'Chalo JNU' protests, demanding justice for Najeeb.
===Solidarity Team to help Muzaffarnagar Riots Victim===
The CPI (M-L) led a Solidarity Team to Muzaffarnagar after the riots
==Controversies==
===Against Narendra Modi===
DUSU President Aman Awana and JNUSU President Akbar Chawdhary were at loggerheads with each other as President of JNUSU decided to lead protests against BJP’s Prime Ministerial Candidate, Narendra Modi, in Varanasi in 2014. He led a 14 member team from JNU that joined other institutions and student bodies like Delhi University and Banaras Hindu University to protest against Modi’s candidature[47][48]. ABVP President went to Banaras Hindu University to campaign for the then PM candidate Narendra Modi.
===Sexual harassment allegations===
In July 2014, a sexual harassment allegation was filed against Chawdhary and Joint Secretary of JNUSU, Sarfaraz Hamid to the JNU’s Gender Sensitisation Committee against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH).
Chawdhary and Hamid stepped down from their posts to allow for fair inquiry. Both were declared not guilty after investigations were conducted.
Category:People from Uttar Pradesh
Category:Indian people
Category:Political activists