The Hindu : National : AMU issue: Arjun Singh writes to UPA constituents

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Sunday, May 29, 2005

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AMU issue: Arjun Singh writes to UPA constituents

Special Correspondent

Clearance given in keeping with the commitment made in the CMP

NEW DELHI: Under attack for clearing the Aligarh Muslim University's (AMU) decision to introduce 50 per cent reservation for Muslims in courses for which admission is through an entrance test, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh on Saturday wrote to all constituents and supporting parties of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to clear the air.

According to Mr. Singh, the decision was taken by the Academic Council and the Executive Council of AMU, and the Ministry only "conveyed its no objection to the University upon being approached by it'' in keeping with the commitment made by the UPA in its Common Minimum Programme to protect the autonomy of institutions of higher learning.

The Ministry, he said, cleared the proposal after being convinced that the decision was "fully in keeping with the nature of the institution, in accordance with the powers conferred on the University by the AMU Act, 1920 (and amended in 1981), and that the authorities of the University were competent to take such a decision."

`Near unanimous nod'

The Minister said the AMU (Amendment) Bill, 1980, was debated in both Houses of Parliament and met with near-unanimous endorsement. Drawing the attention of allies and supporting parties to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha debates on the Bill in December 1981, he — in particular — quoted extensively from the intervention made by the late Communist Party of India leader, Indrajit Gupta, in the Lok Sabha.

Extending his "full support" to the Bill, Mr. Gupta said: "I do not subscribe to the view that because the institution will have a majority of Muslims, therefore, automatically it must be having a communal colour or some kind of obscurantist or reactionary colour."

The Bill, he said, had been introduced after wide-ranging consultations by a Committee of the then Ministers of Education & Culture, Human Resource, and Law, Justice & Company Affairs with representatives of a large number of Muslim organisations, university teachers, students, representatives of "old boys" and others.

About the criticism from some quarters that the move was "anti-national," Mr. Singh said: "An institution, such as the AMU, imparting modern education, established predominantly for those who needed the most, has remained an eyesore for such elements.

These sections have quickly spread misinformation" that AMU will now have 75 per cent reservation for Muslims, which according to the Minister, was the farthest from the truth.

Of the view that the University may have failed in fully disseminating the factual position — "leading to the misunderstanding that it is no different from any other Central University" — the Minister has enclosed a note with his letter to bring out the uniqueness of AMU owing to its minority character.

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