AMU was set up by Muslims, for Muslims, say students and faculty members

A beautiful and sprawling campus spread over 467 acres. A drive through Aligarh Muslim University, brings you face to face with regal structures which are in the eye of a storm. AMU has been granted 4 weeks time by the Supreme Court to respond to the Centre's affidavit withdrawing the previous government's appeal seeking a minority tag for the university. Stakeholders feel, there is no other way of describing AMU, other than a minority institution.

Chairman of the Law Faculty, Iqbal Ali Khan says, "Article 29 of the constitution recognises religious, cultural and linguistic minorities. Article 30 gives minorities the power to establish institutes for their religious and cultural education. The spirit of AMU fulfils this criteria. This university was set up by Muslims through Sir Syed Ahmed Khan".

As he sits under a portrait of the founder of AMU, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Iqbal ALi Khan, an alumnus of the university says misconceptions about the admission policy has led to the minority issue being blown out of proportion. "We don't even have one percent reservation for muslims. We have a policy of internal and external students. Internal students are those who have passed their class X and XII exams from the university and 50% seats are reserved for them. Nowhere does it say that muslims will be given reservation", he says. '

AMU BEST DESCRIBED AS MINORITY INSTITUTION

Faculty members even dismiss the Aziz Basha judgement of 1967 where the Supreme Court had observed that AMU was set up by an act of parliament and was therefore a central university, not a minority institute. Zafar Nomani, a professor from the Faculty of Law says, "In the Aziz Basha case, AMU wasn't afforded the opportunity to defend itself. It is in the interest of justice that no one should be condemned unheard but in this case AMU was not issued any notice or provided with reasonable opportunity to defend its minority status. This is a case that needs to be heard by the highest constitutional bench".

Student's too claim that there is no questioning AMU's minority status. Sitting inside Maulana Azad Library, Fatima, who is pursuing a post doc in psychology, feels issues related to AMU are blown out of proportion...like the story about AMU barring the entry into its central library. "I've been coming to this library for the last 3-4 years and girls are frequently allowed inside. There are an equal number of girls and boys who study here. Even if a small thing happens in Aligarh it is blown out of proportion by the media. The media never focuses on the positives in AMU", she says.

Students and former students who are more politically active, have a clear take on the situation. Syed Masood Ul Hasan, former vice president of AMU student's union says, "Modi had spoken about Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikaas, what happened to that? Why is the govt not being able to see beyond AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia. AMU is very close to the hearts of Muslims not just of Uttar Pradesh but the entire country. If anything happens to AMU, Muslims will get hurt. AMU has become a new election agenda for the BJP because the Babri Masjid issue has died down. This is a fresh issue."

As the debate around Aligarh Muslim University's minority status heats up, the university administration is getting ready to take the NDA Govt head-on in court. The majority view on campus is that the issue is being raked up by the Modi govt with an eye on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections and that after Hyderabad University and JNU-AMU will be the Govt's next target.