By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: The Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) organized a seminar on the legal status of minority institutions at the capital’s Constitution Club on 1st April.
The minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) was discussed at the seminar that was presided over by ex-justice of Gujarat High Court A.S. Qureshi. AMU vice-chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis, ex-vice chancellors of Agra University and Jamia Hamdard, president of Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Educational Society and a number of eminent professors attended the seminar.
Ex-registrar of AMU Faizan Mustafa shed light on the legal status of the university. Talking on the legal position of JMI, well-known lawyer Tariq Siddiqui said Muslim leaders founded the university in 1920 and in 1950, when Indian Constitution came into effect, it was surely the property of Muslim community on which the article 30 of the Constitution should apply. JMI should be considered Muslims’ private institution under this provision. Vice chairman of IOS and ex-vice chancellor of Agra University Prof. Manzoor Ahmad said the future of all minority institutions depended on the cases of these two universities.
Advocate R.S. Suri advised to forge a joint strategy on the issue by evolving consensus among all minority sections regarding their common issues, president of Supreme Court Bar Association P.H. Parikh advised on the formation of a pressure group by uniting all minorities and Dalits and taking up the issue on a larger scale as it was an issue concerning the existence of minorities.