Former AMU VC: ‘My message to the community is AMU has always been a beacon for us. Make more such beacons. Why bank only on one?’

How bash you spot the Supreme Court’s order?

It is simply a precise just and close order. The 1967 bid against which AMU had appealed made nary consciousness astatine all. We (AMU) were not adjacent a enactment to that (1967) case. The judgement had pronounced that AMU was not founded by the Muslims of India but by an Act of British Parliament. This tin beryllium countered by a comparison. Who won India Independence? It excessively was surely an enactment of British Parliament, but it was our state fighters who ensured it. Doesn’t the aforesaid analogy use successful the lawsuit of AMU? There was nary uncertainty that AMU was founded, established and administered by the Muslims of India.

Do you deliberation the judgement volition person an interaction for different number institutions?

A batch hinged connected today’s judgment. The number presumption of institutions would person been threatened. This bid is simply a large alleviation for each of us.

In Friday’s order, the SC said a caller Bench volition determine the number quality of AMU. What bash you deliberation astir the move?

Yes, that is rather right. AMU’s entreaty was lone against the 1967 judgment. That has been acceptable aside. I americium definite that the records and documentary grounds disposable with AMU volition beryllium capable to person the caller Bench that the MAO (Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College that was acceptable up successful 1875) was upgraded into a assemblage (AMU).

All communities did assistance (in establishing and mounting up the university). But the bulk of the ample corpus that had to beryllium raised and deposited to acceptable up the assemblage was by the Muslims of India. In fact, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (who acceptable up the assemblage and yet established the university) danced connected signifier to cod money. Can you judge it? There was nary uncertainty that the large chunk of the wealth came from the Muslim community.

Do you deliberation this contented is going to linger?

I anticipation it does not. When I was the Vice-Chancellor, we spent a sizeable magnitude of clip and wealth paying lawyers to combat for us. I anticipation it is settled astatine the earliest. My connection to the assemblage is that AMU has ever been a beacon for us. It is clip to marque much specified beacons. Why should we slope lone connected 1 university?

Can you archer america astir your tenure arsenic V-C and however the lawsuit had impacted the varsity’s functioning?

There is nary denying that AMU has been the grooming crushed for Muslim intellectuals. I mean anyone you find doing good successful nine is an AMU merchandise due to the fact that it was the lone assemblage astatine the time. Now, the Muslim assemblage is not capable to nonstop its children to institutions of higher learning due to the fact that it is truthful expensive. I conscionable saw contiguous that the engineering assemblage (of AMU) has been ranked fig 1 successful the satellite due to the fact that it lone charges Rs 60,000 a year.

You tin comparison that to the IITs. AMU has done a large woody for acquisition – and not lone for Muslims. Yes, Muslims are a bulk successful AMU. That is due to the fact that courses similar Urdu, Arabic, Islamic studies are lone taken up by Muslims. But vocation courses – specified arsenic absorption and medicine – person adjacent fig of Muslims and different communities.

During the proceeding of the lawsuit successful the apex court, the Central authorities opposed the number presumption of AMU. What bash you deliberation astir it?

Once the authorities takes a presumption (speaking astir the UPA government’s stand), I deliberation the succeeding governments should instrumentality the aforesaid position. Why should they bash a summersault? The prerogative was theirs. Governments alteration but nationalist policies should stay the same.