By TCN News,
Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) on Thursday organized a national convention on “Muslim Reservation and Restoration of AMU Minority Character” in the Kennedy Auditorium. A galaxy of scholars, Muslim leaders and office bearers of Muslim organizations and institutions assured the Students’ Union of their full cooperation in pursuance of the two issues and emphasized the need for initiating a national movement for achieving the goal.
Noted advocate and AMU alumnus, Mr. Zafaryab Jeelani said that the Aligarh Muslim University should persuade the Supreme Court of India to decide the case related to the minority character of the University pending for a long time. He said that minority character of the University was snatched away in 1965 and a mass movement was initiated by our community leaders and old boys to get it restored.
National Convention on “Muslim Reservation and Restoration of AMU Minority Character” organized by AMUSU
Referring to the Muslim reservation, Mr. Jeelani said that the political parties have recognized it as a vital issue and this is why it has become an important agenda in the current assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He advised that the AMUSU should initiate a mass movement so that these issues gain proper attention and get resolved by the next parliamentary elections in 2014.
Mr. Syed Sharique Ahmad, President, AMUSU, while welcoming the guests highlighted the plight of Muslims in India. He said that Muslims are discriminated in every walk of life. He urged the government to provide reservation to Muslims proportionate to their population. He said that the government’s decision to give 4.5 percent reservation to Muslims, however, is a good initiative but the community needs more for its overall development to come up parallel to their fellow citizens.
Mr. Ahmad demanded that the recommendations of various committees and commissions on minority issues should immediately be implemented and government should provide more funds to AMU for implementing welfare and developmental programmes effectively. He urged the representatives of various Muslim organizations and institutions to extend support to its fight for the restoration of minority character of AMU.
Mufti Rashid Azami of Deoband assured that any voice for Muslim upliftment rising from AMU will receive a profound support from Deoband. Maulana Atiq Qadri of Badaun said that strengthening Aligarh Muslim University is equal to strengthening the Muslim community. Maulana Ejaz Aslam, Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said that the Sachar Committee report has categorically made it clear that Muslims have been pushed to the corners and the great principles of equality, fraternity and brotherhood enshrined in the Indian Constitution have miserably failed. He said that the justice loving people constitute the largest part of Indian populace and Muslims will also get justice sooner or later. He said that Indian media works on fair principles by and large.
Siddiqullah Chaudhary, Secretary, Jamiat Ulema Hind of West Bengal, Maulana Asghar Ali Salfi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Mufti Sanaul Huda of Imarat-e-Shariah Bihar, Maulana Anis Islahi, President, Madrasatul Islah (Azamgarh) and eminent Shia scholar, Maulana Shahid Husain Misam also addressed the programme.
Mr. Hammad Nabi, Honorary Secretary, AMUSU conducted the programme and Mr. Abdul Qadir Jeelani, Vice President proposed a vote of thanks.