In February 2011, when the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions granted Jamia Millia Islamia the status of minority institution, the university become a hot cake for one and all.Some “secular” minded people created a huge furore saying the NCMEI is up to converting the institution into a madrasa while others inked thousands of papers proving that the move of the commission was in favour of the Muslim community.As both sides have their own arguments and rationales, people waited to watch as to which argument carried more weight. Now, after passing three years since the university got minority status, one can easily reach to a conclusion and say that the “seculars” were wrong in their thinking.
Now, Jamia is more advanced,in some terms, than it was ever before. The closer one becomes to the premises of the university the farther goes the idea of madrasa—despite the fact that there are plenty of madrasa students studying in various departments and one may find bearded religious students at each step.The well-wishers of the university have so far maintained its secular character their way. When the university was declared as a minority institution, it was greatest challenge for those well-wishers to maintain the secular character the university was known for. They thought for a while that the secularism might die down in the university. But they thought cunningly and came up with an idea i.e. to check religious affairs and not allow them supersede irreligious and immoral stuffs.
As the number of religious and bearded students grew the number of love birds swelled as well and now one may find these birds in every vacant class room doing something what is called love in their language. Many a time, they are seen in deep love just in front of the old building of the library without noticing the passers-by. This scribe visited the campus last Saturday and was shocked to see dozens of couples occupying every vacant class room in an off-day. Unable to say whether the security guards deployed in the campus were protecting the university from intruders or providing safe place for those love birds.
Some days earlier, this writer met a group of students whose meeting was declared unlawfulby the university proctor and they were instructed not to assemble at any place in future. “We are some students. We meet once in a week and discuss some religious topics. But they (guards) came and collected our IDs saying ours was an illegal assembly,” said a students on the condition of anonymity.Not far before, some students including this writer stayed in the Jama Masjid of the university after MaghribNamaz discussing some religious points. Then the Masjid authority came and asked us whether we had written permission from the proctor office for the assembly. On being informed that it was an informal meeting and not a planned one, they asked us all to get dispersed soon and not to assemble without permission in future. Then one person whispered if he neededwritten permission from proctor to stay late in the mosque for no other reason than discussing some religious points.
One more point to be noted here. Some students organised a cultural event in March this year and got permission for the concert of one of the most indecent, vulgar and lewd rapper namely Heaven Khalifa in the prestigious MA Ansari Auditorium of the university. He was so vulgarly and indecently performing that the organisershad to stop his concert midway in the pressure of audience. After the show, this scribe approached the organisers but they, instead of being sorry for their decision, declined to say anything on record.What adds salt to injury is that the organisers repeatedly begged pardon of the rapper. Such things are not new in Jamia in the name of cultural and extracurricular activities.
Jamia is the product of Khilafat movement and it got split from the Aligarh Muslim University for only reason to keep Muslim education in Muslim hands, entirely free from external control. “[Jamia’s objective is] to keep Muslim education in Muslim’s hand, entirely free from external control, so thtat we may be perfectly immune from pernicious alien influence in our ideas and beliefs, our morals and actions, our conduct and characters,” MaulanaMahmoodulHasan had said throwing light on the objectives of the university. But now, in order to prove its secularism, the Jamia administration is doing all what other universities cannot even think of. The founders of the university had dreamt to keep the institution free from all external pressure but, quite contrary, it is now dancing on the tunes of others.
Jamia’sendeavour for restoration of its minority character is an example in itself. Now, it is the only central university in the country enjoying the status of minority institution. But being minority institution is no solution to every problem. It has to prove its potential to become the torchbearer of the community in the field of education and all. It has to prove that it can impart education with values and ethics. In the words of Dr ZakirHussain, one of the founding members of the university, “In my opinion, Jamia is an Islamic institution which objective is the education of Indian Muslims.The basis of this education is to be the religion and culture of Islam.”
