[Reader-list] Don't let Jamia become `fundamentalist', says Arjun Singh

[A.K. Malik]

Hi Mr Durani,
               Is there still a doubt even after reading the news reports coming almost daily?
Regards,

(A.K.MALIK)


--- On Tue, 3/23/10, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] Don't let Jamia become `fundamentalist', says Arjun Singh
> To: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 10:01 AM
> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dont-let-Jamia-become-fundamentalist-says-Arjun-Singh/articleshow/5713041.cms
> 
> NEW DELHI: With concerted pressure on HRD ministry by a
> group of
> conservative Muslims to change the character of Jamia Milia
> Islamia,
> former HRD minister Arjun Singh has written to Prime
> Minister Manmohan
> Singh expressing fear that the prestigious central
> university might
> fall into the hands of fundamentalist forces.
> 
> Singh, sources said, has blamed a member of the Union
> council of
> ministers for giving patronage to divisive forces in the
> university.
> 
> Not only is Jamia refusing to honour 27% reservation for
> OBCs in
> admission, the conservative section has been raising the
> bogey of
> under-representation of Muslims as students and teachers.
> They are
> demanding that the university should give preference to
> Muslims in
> jobs and admissions.
> 
> But the larger issue being debated is can the "secular
> character" of
> Jamia, enshrined in the Act, be changed at the behest of
> fundamentalist forces. HRD ministry officials refused to
> get drawn
> into the controversy. But it is unlikely that the ministry
> will amend
> the Jamia Act.
> 
> A perusal of the file on setting up of Jamia, through RTI,
> reveals
> that in 1987, when the university became a central
> university, the
> Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and the HRD ministry
> refused to
> bow to pressure from the then chancellor Khurshid Alam Khan
> that
> specific mention be made that Jamia would "promote
> especially the
> educational and cultural advancement of Muslims in India".
> 
> Similarly, there were five other suggestions by Khurshid
> Alam Khan
> that the ministry refused to entertain on the ground that
> none of the
> other central universities had these features. Khan wanted
> reservation
> for educationally backwards in admission but the ministry
> said
> "government has not provided for any reservation for
> educationally
> backward classes". The ministry added, "The suggestion of
> the
> chancellor could create controversies."
> 
> On the lines of Aligarh Muslim University, Khan wanted the
> chancellor
> to be elected by the university's court and not appointed
> by the
> visitor (President). But the CCPA decided that chancellor
> will be
> appointed by the visitor.
> 
> The ministry also did not agree with the chancellor's
> demand that
> honorary treasurer be made a member of the university
> court. HRD
> ministry said since a wholetime finance officer would be
> appointed,
> there was no need for honorary treasurer.
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the
> city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net
> with subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list 
> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>