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'AMU has clear-cut minority character'

DUBAI — As alumni across the world eagerly await Indian Supreme Court's final judgment on the issue of minority character for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), one man who has been at the forefront of the legal and political battle is confident that justice will be done in the case.

Wasim Ahmad, member of AMU Court and Executive Council, who is visiting Dubai, believes that the court hearing — scheduled for May 10 — will set the course for a permanent settlement of the issue.

"Unfortunately for us, this matter has come to light at a time when polarisation is happening in India on the issue of reservation. But minority character for AMU is a larger issue and should not be seen through the prism of reservation," he said adding that even communist parties agree with them on the issue of minority character, even though they differ on reservation issue.

The Supreme Court of India, last month, said that AMU will remain a minority institution and that its character will not change, but refused to stay, till the pendency of the matter, the Allahabad High Court’s verdict striking down the 50 per cent quota for students belonging to the minority community.

According to Wasim, the views of the university and the federal government are the same in this matter. "One should realise that there is no conflict of interest. The federal government has backed our position. Since it is a matter of interpretation of the Constitution, all aspects will have to be looked into before the verdict is given," he said.

"The Minister of Human Resource Development (Arjun Singh) has played a very important role in this matter. Even the All India Congress Committee, in its political resolution, maintained that all steps should be taken to restore AMU's minority character," said Wasim, who has been a member of parliament and is also an ex-member of the Congress Working Committee.