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The Idea of a
University: Jamia Millia Islamia
The Idea of a University is a collection of articles by renowned academicians, writers, thinkers and teachers written in the critical days immediately after the encounter. Rakhshanda Jalil shows her anguish at the false "idea" of Jamia as a Muslim institution despite the fact that it is a UGC-funded central university. "We decided that creating an ambience in which our students could be sensitised about the important role they perform in society is just as vital as the education we impart." Every time a stray accident happened in the neighbourhood, the university became a target, destroying its 80-year-long democratic reputation. Martha Nussbaum, the well-known philosopher, in her paper strongly expresses her concern that although the Muslim community represents 13 per cent of Indian population, it suffers from poverty and systematic discrimination. Not only this but the word ‘terrorism’ is frequently confined to the actions of Muslims, whereas the violence by Hindu-rights mobs against Christians in Orissa in 2008, deserves the name of ‘terrorism’. In his interview with Vandita Mishra, Mushirul Hasan says: "This is not the time to attribute the responsibility to different parties or communities. This is a moment of self-reflection; of trying to find out what gives rise to this mindless violence." Prof. Hasan worries about the role of electronic media. How the electronic media has taken upon itself the responsibility of being the custodian of the nation’s interest. The coverage reflected a very threatening trend in the history of journalism. The Jamia incident could have been easily sorted out, but it was turned into a campaign against the university. Prof Hasan compares Jamia with other so-called secular universities where Muslims have limited access—Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, and Delhi University itself. Rumki Basu in her paper Living a Nightmare with Remarkable Restraint says terror in any form can never be justified. The Delhi blasts, which hit the public at large indiscriminately, have perhaps impacted civil society in exactly the same way as the ‘post-encounter aftermath’ in Jamia. It breaks spirits, polarises communities and suffocates chances of dialogue and peace. "One who suffers not, knows not the suffering of others," says Sudhir Chandra, who teaches at Jamia. He says that to understand the minorities, the majority has to inculcate sensitivity and be extremely perceptive. Ayesha Siddiqa points out that that majority of Muslims are less educated and poor. Some might argue this is the fault of the Muslim leadership in India that has done little to develop the community. But then isn’t it the responsibility of the state as well to assist the poor people of a community which once had a proud sense of ownership in the Indian state? Or isn’t it the responsibility of the State to bring development to the poorer segments irrespective of the community they belong to? The articles express broadly the two aspects: one, the real pain of humiliation that any minority community would feel, and two, any educational institution, which is meant to build the future of its youth, is forced to remain mute.
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An
encounter between the Special Branch of Delhi Police and a group of
suspected terrorists in Batla House, in the neighbourhood of Jamia
Millia Islamia University, started when some students were picked up
from the university by the Delhi Police in connection with the seven
blasts in the Capital. Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan played a
remarkable role in calming down the Muslim community in Jamia Nagar
and by providing legal aid to the arrested Jamia students. Prof. Hasan’s
efforts were criticised by some intellectuals and political parties
because they felt that the university had no business helping the
students as this would set a bad precedent, and every student anywhere
in the country would seek similar assistance. Prof. Hasan’s
initiative became even more controversial after the vice-chancellors
of universities in Gujarat decided that all students of all colleges
and universities in the state must take a course in anti-terrorism.