Arjun, Antulay clash over Jamia

The issue is granting of minority status to the university

The undercurrents of tension between Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh and Union Minister for Minority Affairs AR Antulay is hotting up, this time over the grant of minority status to Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU), and reservations to Muslims.

The two ministers have locked horns over the issue of granting minority status to the JMIU, with the former opposing the move and the latter backing it. The matter has now reached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The conflict between the two veteran Congressmen arose following petitions filed in the National Commission for Minority Education Institutions (NCMEI) by the students, teachers and old boys associations of the JMIU, who are seeking minority status to this central university, under MHRD. 

The move is backed by Antulay who says: “I cannot do anything that goes against the interest of minorities.” His stand is based on a plea filed in Delhi High Court by Jamia in 1997, where it had made a strong case for getting a minority institute status.

However, the MHRD’s opposition is reflected in the affidavit JMIU has filed in August 2006 before the NCMEI.

When contacted, Jamia’s Vice Chancellor Prof Mushirul Hasan washed off his hands by saying he is merely following government’s (read MHRD) orders. “The matter is between the government of the day and the Commission. I have no say in it. As a VC, I will simply follow the orders,” Hasan said.

Singh refused to talk about it saying the matter is before the Commission. But it is learnt that he is making all efforts to prevent Antulay from taking a conflicting stand before the Commission when the case comes for hearing on December 12.

But since Singh has already said the reservation to Muslims is not possible, a debate started by Antulay, it is unlikely the matter would get resolved so easily. Singh’s remarks also gather importance given the situation that the Sachar Committee’s report on the situation of Muslims in India is yet to be tabled and debated in the Parliament and the government is yet to take a stand on it.

Contradictory stand

The reason for Minority Affairs ministry’s objection is due to the contradictory stand of Jamia over its minority status issue. The same JMIU, with the present VC Prof Hasan as its officiating VC at that time, had filed a petition in Delhi High Court in 1997 seeking minority status for itself. It had extensively quoted its Act while making a case for minority institution. “Section 2 (o), 4 (i), 9 and 17 of the Jamia Act 1988 emphasis, underline and reiterate the predominant Muslim minority character of this institute…Prima-facie, Jamia is a minority institution as the gist of grounds demonstrates…” the petition said.

However, in a fresh affidavit filed before the NCMEI in August this year, JMIU has rubbished the demand for minority status terming it to be “misconceived and not maintainable in relief.” JMIU now says: “The University shall be open to persons of either sex and of whatsoever race, creed, castes or class, and it shall not be lawful for the University to adopt or impose on any person any test whatsoever of religious belief or profession in order to entitle him to be admitted therein as teacher or student...”