By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: In its special programme held on 29th April to discuss the issue of minority character of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) announced to constitute a Jamia action committee, on the pattern of Aligarh Muslim University.
Addressing the program, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, media in-charge of JIH, said JMI has been a Muslim institution since its foundation. The founding fathers of JMI had made it clear in JMI charter that this institution was set up to meet educational requirements of the Muslim community, he said. But when in 1988 JMI was accorded the status of a central university, no word was said about its minority character. This made its minority character doubtful, continued Qasim Rasool Ilyas even when the Constitution of India allows minorities to open their educational institutions.
Elaborating on the issue, he said some people are supporting the OBC quota for JMI also, ignoring the Supreme Court clarification that minority institutions should be exempted from OBC quota. At present, JMI maintains 22% reservation for SCs and STs and 25% for its internal students. If OBC quota is implemented, total reservation will touch the 74% mark, much beyond the Apex Court’s restriction that reservation should not cross 50%. He appealed to Muslim leaders and organizations to campaign for the preservation of the minority character of JMI.
In his concluding remarks, JIH president Maulana Jalaluddin Umri said great institutions are established on the foundation of sacrifices. JMI founders also made great sacrifices for it. He said losing Muslim institutions is losing community identity. He further said success of a democracy lies in ensuring rights of its minorities. Otherwise, the system will be considered failed. If JMI loses its minority character, it will put a question mark before the system. To lose the minority character of JMI and Aligarh Muslim University will be tantamount to insult to the honour of th community, Maulana Umri said. Advocate Tariq Siddiqui, who is also ex-president of JMI students union, also spoke on the occation.