It may sound incredible, but this is the very same sprawling campus where some of Vice-Chancellor Naseem Ahmad's illustrious predecessors have fought tooth and nail against the demand for reservation for Muslim students. In fact, they upheld the tradition of the nationalist Muslims for whom the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had been set up. Not that Ahmad isn't a fighter for any cause, only his intentions are different: he has presided over the apparent capitulation of what many see as values that the university was known for.

PICTURE SPEAK

FRESH ROW: AMU is divided over the new quota policy

Last week, the Executive Council of the university, headed by Ahmad, decided to reserve 50 per cent of its seats in all professional courses for Muslim students. While there is criticism at religion being made the basis of reservation, Ahmad sees it differently. "Most of the students at AMU are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. From now on students from all over the country will come here to study." Ahmad's wishes don't clearly explain the logic of the controversial decision while the remark by university registrar Faizan Mustafa that "everything has been done according to the law" appears at best a lame excuse. But then, there is more support than opposition on the campus for the new policy. Also, this decision has been reportedly endorsed by the "secular" UPA Government at the Centre.

Besides the 50 per cent seats reserved for Muslims, another 25 per cent seats will be reserved for internal candidates-the students who have studied in AMU's own schools-and, in many courses, 5 per cent of the seats come under the vice-chancellor's nomination quota. Earlier, 50 per cent seats were reserved for internal candidates and the rest for external students. Even then, 95 per cent of the internal candidates were Muslims. Among the external students too the number of Muslims were around 20 per cent. Even in professional courses where the seats are being reserved for the Muslims, over 60 per cent of the students are from the Muslim community. Obviously, after the new quota policy comes into effect, the number of non-Muslims in the campus is destined to go down further.

What bothers a minority inside AMU is the possible change in the character of the Central university. Many professors, particularly the Left-oriented ones, have made an appeal to the university to revoke its decision. "This is unhealthy. The reputation of our courses will suffer and people will begin to underestimate our students," says Washi Hyder, professor in the Physics department.

CHRONOLOGY OF DEMAND

1920: Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College becomes Aligarh Muslim University. 1962-64: V-C Badruddin Tayyabji's decision not to oppose the quota demand creates storm. 1964: Ali Yawar Jung beaten up for opposing the demand of reservation on religious basis. 1974: Nurul Hasan attacked for curtailing the powers of University Court. 1981: AMU becomes a minority institution after Parliament approval. 1985-96: The University becomes politically volatile and the quota demand gains strength. 2005: The University decides to reserve 50 per cent seats for Muslim students.

AMU, established in 1877 by nationalist Muslim leader Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan, became a university in 1920. Now it has around 28,000 students in its 88 departments, five institutes and 13 study centres. The strength of the faculty members touches 2,000 and that of the non-teaching staff 6,000. The number of non-Muslims among these groups too is abysmally low.

However, university officials claim that since it is a minority institution, AMU has the right to set aside seats for the Muslims. It was only a few months ago that the university decided to provide 50 per cent quota in MD/MS courses for the Muslims, with the blessings of the Union HRD Ministry. UPCC President Salman Khursheed and former Rajya Sabha member Waseem Ahmad are said to be among those who had backed the idea.

Kunwarpal Singh, former professor of the university, says, "This decision exposes the growing hold of the Jamat-i-Islami in AMU. These people want democracy and secularism outside the university but they do not allow them to exist on the campus." Adds Hyder: "This is a Central university, not small college. Muslim education is not only the concern of AMU but also of the whole country."

However, much to the delight of those who proposed the idea, the unions of the teachers and the students on the campus have welcomed the decision. Says Waseem Ahmad: "We got the first warning signal after the previous NDA government tried to impose the common admission test (CAT) system on us. I think we should have had reservation on religious basis as early as 1981 when the university was declared a minority institution."

But in the past several vice-chancellors have resisted the moves to implement any reservation plan despite pressures. In the mid-1960s the hardliners even beat up the then vice-chancellor, Ali Yawar Jung.

Later in the '70s, Nurul Hasan too earned the wrath of the quota fundamentalists, who were fed with political power by various parties, including the Congress.

Now, several leftist intellectuals charge the Congress party with trying to make the university its political ground once again by supporting the new policy.

In the long run, what may get an indecent burial is university founder Sir Sayyad's dream that it would be open to students of all caste, creed and religion.

INTERVIEW | NASEEM AHMAD

"We've been considering it for long" AMU Vice-Chancellor Naseem Ahmad spoke to Principal Correspondent shyamlal yadav on the university's new quota policy. Q. What is the justification for reservation on religious basis? A. This is a minority institution. We revise the admission policy from time to time. The decision didn't come overnight. This is a result of a long-thought-out process. Q. What are the reasons behind it? A. We are not getting the best Muslim students. We also want to give the university an all-India outlook. Q. Is the UPA making the campus a political playground? A. Nothing like that. We have been considering it for the past three years. We were on our guard ever since the previous NDA government tried to impose the CAT on us.

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