By TCN Staff Reporter
Aligarh: The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Lt. Gen. Zameer Udin Shah today presided over a joint meeting of members of AMU Court, Executive Council, Academic Council and office bearers to take stock of the situation following the hearing of AMU minority status case in the Supreme Court of India.
Shedding light on the developments pertaining to the minority status case, the Vice Chancellor reiterated that it was the first priority of the University and the AMU is making meaningful efforts to this effect.
Expressing unstinted faith in country’s judiciary, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Brig. S. Ahmad Ali said that AMU has already made adequate preparation regarding this case and we will put up our stand with full confidence in the next hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, which is slated for April 4.
In a substantial change in stance on Monday, the NDA government withdrew its name as one of the petitioners challenging the 2005 Allahabad High Court verdict which said the University had no right to reserve its seats for Muslims. The NDA government has in fact, told the Supreme Court that it supports the Allahabad HC verdict.
The UPA government had, along with the AMU administration, challenged the HC verdict and following this, the Supreme Court had in 2006 put a stay on the verdict.
If the university loses the minority tag, it will have important implications on its current structure and the selection of students. Currently, except for internal quotas, there are no reservations for Muslims in AMU. The University hopes to get the minority status so that like other minority institutes (say, Jamia Milia Islamia) it can also reserve 50% students for Muslims.
But if the University loses the minority status tag, it might also need to implement reservation policies for SCs, STs and OBCs and as a result, Muslims might well be left to fight for seats in the General quota. “However, this cannot be said yet as we are not sure what the SC will decide. The loss of Minority status might also impact the selection of the Vice Chancellor. Currently, three names for the post of VC are elected by an Executive Council and the AMU court and of the three names; the President of India selects one for the post. Both these bodies were also set up by the same amendment in 1981 which allowed AMU to promote, especially the educational and cultural advancement of Muslims in India”, said a faculty member of AMU on the condition of anonymity.
Commenting on the matter, Senior advocate PP Rao, who is representing AMU, told Twocircles.net, “The government has changed its stance on the matter and wants to withdraw the previous affidavit (from UPA) in which it said that AMU is a minority institution. AMU does not agree with their current stance.”
Condemnation against government move has started pouring in from all directions. Navaid Hamid, newly-elected President of All India Majlis-e-Mushawarat said in a statement that “the stand taken by the present Government is contrary to the amendment brought to the Aligarh Muslim University Act, 1920 in the year 1981 and the stand taken by the Union of India before the Hon’ble High Court of Allahabad and also in a separate appeal preferred by the Union of India before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
“The stand taken by the Learned Attorney General for Union of India before the Hon’ble Supreme Court shows that the present Central Government is working against the interests of the minorities and the slogan given by the Prime Minister “Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas” is a hollow promise,” added Mr. Hamid.
The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat is going to convene an urgent meeting of the community leaders and other stake holders to discuss the stance of Government and chalk out joint strategies to safe guard the minority character of AMU