By MM Special Correspondent
New Delhi , 16 Jan : After taking a U-turn on minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the BJP led government at centre is planning to strip Jamia Millia Islamia of its minority status.
According to a report the Law Ministry has advised that the government can withdraw its earlier support to the February 22, 2011 order of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) — the legal body which declared JMI a religious minority institution — on the ground that the university was established through a central legislation and was neither started nor run by the Muslim minority.
According to sources, the Law Ministry recently re-examined the case at the behest of the HRD Ministry and advised that the government can withdraw its support to the NCMEI order.
It should be noted that Jamia Millia Islamia was founded by the leaders of the Khilafat Movement in Aligarh in 1920. The Movement was led by Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, and it gave birth to the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Gandhiji.
Later moved to New Delhi the Jamia Millia Islamia was declared a Central university by an Act of Parliament in 1988.
While granting JMI a minority status Justice M S A Siddiqui, Chairman of the Commission, in his order said: “We have no hesitation in holding that Jamia was founded by the Muslims for the benefit of the Muslims and it never lost its identity as a Muslim minority educational institution.”.
The order further said: “We find and hold that Jamia Millia Islamia is a minority educational institution covered under Article 30 (1) of the Constitution of India with Section 2(G) of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act.” It added that the institution existed even before the Constitution was drafted.
If the government succeeds in its motive to abolish the minority character of JMI then the minority status of eight universities and over 10 thousands minority institutions could also end.